Government 1740 Government 1740 Lecture 6: International Law and International Organizations: Focus on the UN INTERNATIONAL LAW INTERNATIONAL LAW Summer 2006
Dec 27, 2015
Government 1740Government 1740
Lecture 6: International Law and
International Organizations: Focus on the UN
INTERNATIONAL LAWINTERNATIONAL LAW Summer 2006
OUTLINEOUTLINEI. IO functions and activitiesII. The United Nations A. Origins of the U.N. B. Principles of the U.N. C. General Assembly D. Security CouncilIII. Theories of International OrganizationsIV. UN Reform
Prelude: IOs as Subjects Prelude: IOs as Subjects of International Lawof International Law
Can enter into treatiesHave some rights vis-à-vis statesHave a right to advisory opinions from
the ICJHave a right to be compensated for
harm done to their staff in the line of duty
Participate in law creation
I. Functions and I. Functions and ActivitiesActivities
“Executive” Functions“Executive” FunctionsSecurity Council’s role in
maintaining world peace
•ILO’s role in supervising world labor conditions
•UNESCO’s role in improving world education
““Deliberative” Deliberative” FunctionsFunctions
U.N. General AssemblyU.N. Conference on the Law of the
SeasInternational Labor ConferenceWorld Health Assembly
““Judicial” Judicial” FunctionsFunctions
International Court of Justice,
The Hague, Netherlands
WTO Panels
International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas
Inter-American Court for Human Rights
NAFTA Dispute Settlement European
Court of Justice
FUNCTIONAL REGIONAL
Other Judicial Institutions
Providing information OECD, Paris
World Meteorological Organization
Setting StandardsInternational Civil Aviation Organization
Monitoring Compliance
UN Commission on Human Rights
Promotional ActivitiesPromotional Activities
Operational ActivitiesOperational ActivitiesIMF
UN Peacekeepers, Sierra Leone
Mediation ActivitiesMediation Activities
Perform functions that one state would never permit another to do directly.
IAEA InspectorsIraq, 2000
II. The United NationsII. The United Nations
League of Nations LegacyLeague of Nations Legacy Victim of U.S. hesitation Failed to deter Hamstrung by need for unanimity Only two principal organs Didn’t deal as directly with economic, social, cultural, & humanitarian matters
Principles of the UNPrinciples of the UN Sovereign equality
Non-intervention in domestic matters
Settle disputes by peaceful means
Refrain from the threat or use of force (Art. 2.4)
Members to assist the U.N.
Members should fulfill Charter obligations
MembershipMembershipUniversal
Open to all “peace-loving states which accept the obligations contained in the present Charter, and in the judgment of the Organization are able and willing to carry out these obligations”
Admission voted on by General Assembly
Revocation/WithdrawalRevocation/Withdrawal
1. The privileges of membership may be suspended during any enforcement action
2. Country can lose its GA vote for failure to pay dues
3. No provision for unilateral withdrawal as there was in the case of the L of N (Germany, Japan, and Italy withdrew).
4. No one has ever withdrawn from the UN.
•
Organs and Their Organs and Their FunctionsFunctions
General AssemblySecurity Council
International Court of JusticeEconomic and Social Council
Trusteeship Council(Secretariat)
General AssemblyGeneral Assembly
Only principal organ of the U.N. consisting of all members
Each member has one vote and is allowed five representatives
Deliberative body: discussion, investigation, review, supervision, & criticism
Voting on “important issues” requires 2/3 approval (Art. 18.2)
Voting on other issues requires simple majority
General Assembly General Assembly FunctionsFunctions
Elects members to other U.N. organs
Legislative functions
Security Matters
General Assembly General Assembly ResolutionsResolutions
Not legally binding decisions – just recommendations
Reflection of world opinionExamples
The Security CouncilThe Security Council
Security Council Security Council OrganizationOrganization
Body of 15 member states5 permanent members with veto
power10 non-permanent members,
geographical distributionDecisions binding
The Use of The Use of ForceForce
Conflict on the Korean Peninsula, 1950-1953
The Gulf War, 1990
Humanitarian interventions:– Bosnia– Somalia– Haiti– Rwanda
Iraq War, 2002-present
III. Theories of III. Theories of International International OrganizationsOrganizations
Realism– “Important” organizations dominated by
most powerful actors.– Others are unimportant– E.g.: the Security Council and the veto
Theories of Theories of International International OrganizationsOrganizations
Rational Functionalism: – Institutional design: organizations are tailored
to solve particular kinds of strategic problems. Membership rules Scope of issues covered Centralization of tasks
– Organizations that are “rationally designed” are more durable than those that are not.
Theories of Theories of International International OrganizationsOrganizationsConstructivist theories:
IOs are cites of persuasion – (De)Legitimate appropriate behavior– Sites for teaching, persuasion, socialization
IOs are active agents in the socially constructed international system.– Bureaucracies– Can have dysfunctional, unintended
consequences
IV. Reforming the UNIV. Reforming the UN
The Security Council
General Assembly
Human Rights
Corruption
Financing
Weighted voting (democracy*log of population)
0
0.002
0.004
0.006
0.008
0.01
0.012
0.014
0.016
Sh
are
of
vo
te t
ota
l
Global average
Reforming the UNReforming the UN
The Security Council
General Assembly
Human Rights
Corruption
Financing
SummarySummary International Organizations are participants and sites for
participating in the international legal system IOs functions roughly parallel executive, legislative,
and judicial functions The UN grew out of dissatisfaction with the League UN bodies have distinctive forms that reflect the
purposes of the institution and the power of state members.
Rational theories emphasize the idea that “form follows functions;
Constructivists emphasize IOs are socially constructed and used to legitimate, persuade, and socialize.