Unilateralism, Multilateralism & International Institutions

Unilateralism, Multilateralism & International Institutions

• Unilateralism: action taken by a single state

• Multilateralism: coordination among 3 or more states in pursuit of a shared goal

• International institutions: anything that shapes, constrains, guides and/or patterns the behavior of states

Why Cooperate?

1. Increasing state contact and interdependence

2. Transnational issues

3. Increase legitimacy of actions in world affairs

4. Increase leverage for smaller-power states

INTER-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (IGOS)

• aka ‘International organizations’ (IOs)

• Consist of 3 or more states with activities in several states

• Formal multilateralism

• Consist of their own organizational structures and forms of decision-making

• Examples

1. United Nations (UN)

2. Bretton Woods institutions (World Bank and the International Monetary Fund)

3. World Trade Organization (WTO)

4. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

5. European Union (EU)

REGIONAL IGOS

1. Europe

   -EU, Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

2. Africa

   -AU, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Southern African Development Community (SADC), East African Community (EAC)

3. The Americas

   -Organization of American States (OAS), MERCOSUR

4. Asia

   -Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

5. The Middle East

   -Arab League, Gulf Cooperation Council

The United Nations (UN)

• A central component of world politics and governance

• A truly global IGO

• 193 members

• Central to world peace and stability

Functions

1. Provides the global security system

2. Creates international laws and principles

3. A forum for debate and knowledge sharing

4. Involved in international development efforts

5. Sponsors global conferences

The ‘UN SYSTEM’

Principle Bodies

1. General Assembely

2. Security Council

3. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

4. Secretariate

5. International Court of Justice (ICJ)

Specialized Agencies

1. Includes WHO, ILO, UNESCO, FAO, etc.

Funds & Programmes

1. Includes UNICEF, UNDP, UNHCR, WFO, UN Women, UNEP, etc.

THE UN SYSTEM Pt.2

General Assembely

• The international ‘hub’

  -Sets the global agenda

Security Council

• Core of the global security system

  -15 members, 5 are permanent (P-5)

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

• Central forum for economic and social issues and development policy

  -54 members

Secretariate

• The UN’s administration

  -Headed by the Secretary-General

International Court of Justice (ICJ)

• World Court’

Constraints on The United Nations

• Contradictions with state sovereignty

• Competing interests in world politics

  -Leads to ineffectiveness and inaction

• Lack of sufficient funding

• Ongoing and new transnational

  issues

INTERNATIONAL ‘LAW’?

• Law: mechanisms put in place to regulate interactions and settle disputes

• There is much debate regarding whether international law is ‘law’

• Nicaragua-US example

International Law Pt.2

• A core international institution

• “[...] the body of principles, customs and rules regulating interactions among and between states, IOs, individuals and in more limited cases, multilateral organizations” (Boyer et al, 2019, 259)

• International law is consent-based

  -Sovereignty is central

INTERNATIONAL LAW & DOMESTIC LAW

• International law exists in a condition of anarchy

• There are multiple sources of international law

• International law lacks centralized, consistent enforcement

• International law is consent-based

• International law is more facilitative than controlling

• Politics precedes and constrains international law to a greater extent

Sources of International Law

• Treaties

• Soft Law

• Customary law