BHB Ch. 6

IGOS: Neoliberal Institutionalism

•  States join IGOs to solve "collective action problems" (cheating/distrust) by providing transparency and monitoring behavior.

IGOS: Functionalism (Bottom-Up)

•  Cooperation on technical, non-political tasks (postal services, weather) builds trust, eventually leading to political peace.

IGOS: Neofunctionalism (Top-Down):

• Uses "Spillover"—integrating one sector (e.g., trade) forces integration in others (law, currency), shifting loyalty to the IGO.

IGOS: Regime Theory

• A set of shared norms and rules (e.g., Law of the Sea) that govern state behavior in a specific area, even without a formal "government."

IGOS: Realism

• IGOs are marginal; they are merely tools for powerful states to pursue national interests and have no real independent authority.

IGO Roles & Power

• Arena for Interaction: The UN acts as a venue for states to network and gather data (e.g., France/Russia used the UN to resist the 2003 Iraq invasion).

• Independent International Actor: Driven by the Secretariat (civil servants) who act as autonomous experts to set agendas and monitor compliance.

• Supranationalism: When an IGO can override national laws or sovereignty (e.g., European Union or WTO dispute rulings).

Meta-Governor: IGOs (like the WHO) rarely "enforce" rules; they succeed by setting "best practices" that states must then adopt internally.

UN Membership & Voting

• The P5: US, UK, France, Russia, China. They hold permanent seats and veto power, reflecting the power distribution of 1945.

• Weighted Voting: Voting power based on wealth/contributions (IMF/World Bank) rather than "one state, one vote."

• Successor States: Russia inherited the USSR's seat; Yugoslavia was denied status and had to re-apply as seven distinct nations.

Expulsion (Article 6): Used to remove Taiwan in 1971 and effectively exclude South Africa during the apartheid era.

UN Functions & Peace

• Peacekeeping: Neutral "Blue Helmets" maintaining a ceasefire with consent and light arms.

• Peace Enforcement: Aggressive military force authorized to restore peace without the consent of all parties (e.g., 1991 Gulf War).

• R2P (Responsibility to Protect): The global duty to intervene if a state fails to protect its citizens from mass atrocities (genocide/war crimes).

Specialized Agencies:WHO (Global health), UNICEF (Children's rights), and UNHCR (Refugee protection).

Finance & Challenges

• Assessments: Member dues based on "capacity to pay" (GNP). The US pays the maximum 22% of the core budget.

• Arrears: Financial debt (often by the US) used as political leverage to force UN administrative reforms.

• The Veto Stalemate: Rivalry between P5 members (often US vs. Russia/China) frequently paralyzes the UN during active crises like Syria or Ukraine.