GLOBAL

INTERSTATE
SYSTEM
This topic will examine the place of global governance in international relations and cooperation,
particularly within the context of globalization as well as discuss limitations to effective global
governance. It will deal on the functions and roles of various international organizations that
have arisen with the objective of fostering more effective global governance including the United
Nations, World Bank, IMF, WTO, and the actions of international NGOs.
CRITICISMS OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
There have been criticisms by some against the idea of global governance. Some argue that,
as a result, the interests of the poorest people and nations will be ignored unless they have a
direct impact on the global economy.
There are a number of gaps within global governance systems. For example, the World Health
Organization (2015) argues that three primary gaps exist namely:
 Jurisdictional gap – gap between the increasing need for global governance in many areas
– such as health – and the lack of an authority with the power, or jurisdiction, to take action.
 Incentive gap – gap between the need for international cooperation and the motivation to
undertake it. The incentive gap is said to be closing as globalization provides increasing
impetus for countries to cooperate.
 Participation gap - refers to the fact that international cooperation remains primarily the
affair of governments, leaving civil society groups on the fringes of policy-making.
Further, Thakur & Weiss (2015) argue that there are five particular “gaps” in global
governance. They are as Knowledge Gaps, Normative Gaps, Policy Gaps, Institutional Gaps
and Compliance Gaps
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
International organizations were born out of a need for cooperation, it is no secret that
with social developments, interdependencies are increasing, this is true in domestic
society, but also in international society (Baripedia, 2018).
International Law Commission defines international organizations as an “organization
established by a treaty or other instrument governed by international law and
possessing its own international legal personality”. It is a body that promotes voluntary
cooperation and coordination between or among its members. International
organizations generally have States as members, but often other entities can also
apply for membership.
International organizations serve many diverse functions, including collecting
information and monitoring trends, delivering services, providing forums for bargaining,
settling disputes, ensuring peace and security, facilitate international trade, among
others. By providing political institutions through which states can work together to
achieve common objectives, international organizations can help to foster cooperative
behavior.
THREE MAIN TYPES OF INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS
International organizations make up the sovereign states, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs),
international non- governmental organizations, (INGOs), other non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), multinational corporations (MNCs), and the wider world-systems produced by this interaction.
Basically, the three main types are as follows:
 Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). These are organizations that are made up primarily of
sovereign states. Examples include the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO,
World Trade Organization (WTO), World Bank, International Monetary Fund, among others.
 International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs). These are organization which are
generally private, voluntary organizations whose members are individuals or associations that come
together to achieve a common purpose. INGO mandates are environmental preservation, human
rights promotions, advancement of women, and many more. Examples include Red Cross,
Greenpeace, CARE International, Gates and Ford Foundations, etc.
 Multinational Corporations (MNCs). These are global enterprises which operate worldwide or
participate in a business in two or more countries. Multinational Companies (MNCs) have their
central head office in the home country and secondary offices, facilities, factories, industries, and
other such assets in other countries. The activities are controlled and operated by the parent
company worldwide. Walmart, Amazon, Apple, Shell, Toyota, and Jollibee are some examples.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (IGOS)
According to Harvard Law School, it refers to an entity created by treaty, involving two or
more nations, to work in good faith, on issues of common interest. The Yearbook of
International Organizations, which aims to identify and list all intergovernmental
organizations, defines such organizations as: based on a formal instrument of agreement
between the governments of nation states; include three or more nation states as parties to
the agreement; and possess a permanent secretariat performing ongoing tasks.
Intergovernmental institutions play leading roles in fostering globalization.
Intergovernmental organizations differ in function, membership, and membership criteria.
They have various goals and scopes, often outlined in the treaty or charter. Some IGOs
developed to fulfill a need for a neutral forum for debate or negotiation to resolve disputes.
Others developed to carry out mutual interests with unified aims to preserve peace through
conflict resolution and better international relations, promote international cooperation on
matters such as environmental protection, to promote human rights, to promote social
development (education, health care), to render humanitarian aid, and to economic
development. Some are more general in scope (the United Nations) while others may have
subject-specific missions (such as Interpol or the International Telecommunication Union
and other standards organizations.
TYPES OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS
TYPES OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS
THE UNITED NATIONS
The single largest and most powerful intergovernmental organization in the world established on October 24,
1945.
A global organization which is currently made up of 193 Member States.
The organization’s mission and work are guided by the purposes and principles outlined in the UN Charter.
According to the document, the United Nations’ four main purposes are to: maintain international peace and
security; develop friendly relations among nations; achieve international cooperation in solving international
problems; and be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.
The UN was established after World War II with the aim of preventing future wars, succeeding the ineffective
League of Nations. On 25 April 1945, 50 governments met in San Francisco for a conference and started
drafting the UN Charter, which was adopted on 25 June 1945 and took effect on 24 October 1945, when the UN
began operations. Pursuant to the Charter, the organization's objectives include maintaining international peace
and security, protecting human rights, delivering humanitarian aid, promoting sustainable development, and
upholding international law. At its founding, the UN had 51 member states; this number grew to 193 in 2011,
representing the vast majority of the world's sovereign states.([Link])
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is a symbol of the Organization's ideals and a spokesman for the
interests of the world's peoples, in particular the poor and vulnerable. The current Secretary-General of the UN,
and the ninth occupant of the post, is Mr. António Guterres of Portugal, who took office on 1 January 2017. The
UN Charter describes the Secretary-General as "chief administrative officer" of the Organization. ([Link])
INTERNATIONAL NONGOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS

NGOs are generally private, voluntary organizations whose members are individuals or associations that
come together to achieve a common purpose. They are diverse entities, ranging from grassroots
organizations to those recognized transnationally. Some are funded solely through private sources, while
others rely on partial government funds. Some are open to mass memberships and some are closed
member groups.
According to IGO-NGO Cooperation, international NGOs are independent of governments and can be seen
as two types, advocacy NGOs, which aim to influence governments with a specific goal, and operational
NGOs, which provide services. Examples of NGO mandates are environmental preservation, human rights
promotions or the advancement of women. NGOs are typically not-for-profit, but receive funding from
companies or membership fees (Walter, 2007). Many large INGOs have components of operational projects
and advocacy initiatives working together within individual countries.
An INGO may be founded by private philanthropy, such as the Carnegie, Rockefeller, Gates and Ford
Foundations, or as an adjunct to existing international organizations, such as the Catholic or Lutheran
churches. A surge in INGOs for economic development occurred during World War II, some of which would
later become large organizations like SOS Children's Villages, Oxfam, Catholic Relief Services, CARE
International and Lutheran World Relief. The number of INGOs grew from 6,000 in 1990 to 26,000 in 1999,
and a 2013 report estimated about 40,000 (Ben-Ari and Harel, 2013).
FUNCTIONS AND ROLES OF INGOS:

1. Act as advocates for specific policies and offer alternative channels of political participation,
as Amnesty International has done.
2. Mobilize mass publics, as Greenpeace did in saving the whales.
3. Distribute critical assistance in disaster relief and to refugees, as Oxfam has done.
4. Serve as principal monitors of human rights norms and environmental regulations and
provide warnings of violations, as Human Rights Watch has done (Mingst, 2010)
5. Serve as primary actors at the grassroots level in mobilizing individuals to act. Their impact
was felt strongly at the 1992 UN Conference on the Environment and Development
(UNCTAD). (Mingst and Arreguin-Toft, 2010)
THE POWER OF INGOS
1. Rely on soft power, meaning credible information, expertise, and moral authority that attracts
the attention and admiration of governments and the public.
2. Have distinct advantages over individuals, states, and intergovernmental organizations.
They are usually politically independent, participate at all levels, and can make policy with
less risk to national sensitivities.
3. Can increase their power through networking with other NGOs. The International Campaign
to Ban Landmines demonstrates the power of the network. (Mingst and Arreguin-Toft, 2010)
THE LIMITS OF INGOS
1. Most NGOs have very limited economic resources since they do not collect taxes.
The competition for funding is fierce.
2. There is a continuous need to raise money, and some NGOs increasingly rely on
governments. If NGOs choose to accept state assistance, then their neutrality and
legitimacy is potentially compromised.
3. Success is hard to measure; there is no single agenda, and NGOs are often
working at cross-purposes.
4. Some people question whether certain activities undertaken by NGOs, which have
traditionally been viewed as supportive of the common good, may result in
prolonging conflicts. (Mingst and Arreguin-Toft, 2010)