Page 1
Overview In this chapter we shall discuss the
role of international organisations
after the collapse of the Soviet
Union. We shall examine how,
in this emerging world, there
were calls for the restructuring
of international organisations to
cope with various new challenges
including the rise of US power.
The potential reform of the United
Nations Security Council is an
interesting case of the reform
process and its difficulties. We
then turn to India’s involvement
in the UN and its view of Security
Council reforms. The chapter
closes by asking if the UN can play
any role in dealing with a world
dominated by one superpower.
In this chapter we also look
at some other trans-national
organisations that are playing a
crucial role.
Chapter 4
International Organisations
This is the United Nations’ logo. The emblem has a world map
with olive branches around it, signifying world peace.
Credit : www.un.org
Chapter 4.indd 45 14 September 2022 11:03:24
2024-25
Page 2
Overview In this chapter we shall discuss the
role of international organisations
after the collapse of the Soviet
Union. We shall examine how,
in this emerging world, there
were calls for the restructuring
of international organisations to
cope with various new challenges
including the rise of US power.
The potential reform of the United
Nations Security Council is an
interesting case of the reform
process and its difficulties. We
then turn to India’s involvement
in the UN and its view of Security
Council reforms. The chapter
closes by asking if the UN can play
any role in dealing with a world
dominated by one superpower.
In this chapter we also look
at some other trans-national
organisations that are playing a
crucial role.
Chapter 4
International Organisations
This is the United Nations’ logo. The emblem has a world map
with olive branches around it, signifying world peace.
Credit : www.un.org
Chapter 4.indd 45 14 September 2022 11:03:24
2024-25
Contemporary World Politics
46
Why Internat Ional
o rgan Isat Ions ?
Read the two cartoons on this
page. Both the cartoons comment
on the ineffectiveness of the
United Nations Organisation,
usually referred to as the UN, in
the Lebanon crisis in 2006. Both
the cartoons represent the kind of
opinions that we often hear about
the UN.
On the other hand, we also
find that the UN is generally
regarded as the most important
international organisation in
today’s world. In the eyes of many
people all over the world, it is
indispensable and represents the
great hope of humanity for peace
and progress. Why do we then
need organisations like the UN?
Let us hear two insiders:
“The United Nations was
not created to take humanity to
heaven, but to save it from hell.”
— Dag Hammarskjold, the UN’s
second Secretary-General.
“Talking shop? Yes, there are
a lot of speeches and meetings
at the U.N., especially during the
annual sessions of the General
Assembly. But as Churchill put it,
jaw-jaw is better than war-war.
Isn’t it better to have one place
where all… countries in the world
can get together, bore each other
sometimes with their words rather
than bore holes into each other on
the battlefield?” — Shashi Tharoor,
the former UN Under-Secretary-
General for Communications and
Public Information.
These two quotes suggest
something important.
International organisations are
not the answer to everything, but
they are important. International
organisations help with matters
of war and peace. They also help
countries cooperate to make
better living conditions for us all.
Countries have conflicts and
differences with each other. That
does not necessarily mean they
must go to war to deal with their
That’s what they
say about the
parliament too —
a talking shop. Does
it mean that we need
talking shops?
During June 2006, Israel attacked Lebanon, saying that it was necessary to control the militant group called Hezbollah.
Large numbers of civilians were killed and many public buildings and even residential areas came under Israeli
bombardment. The UN passed a resolution on this only in August and the Israel army withdrew from the region only in
October. Both these cartoons comment on the role of the UN and its Secretary-General in this episode.
© Harry Harrison, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
© Petar Pismestrovic, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
Chapter 4.indd 46 14 September 2022 11:03:25
2024-25
Page 3
Overview In this chapter we shall discuss the
role of international organisations
after the collapse of the Soviet
Union. We shall examine how,
in this emerging world, there
were calls for the restructuring
of international organisations to
cope with various new challenges
including the rise of US power.
The potential reform of the United
Nations Security Council is an
interesting case of the reform
process and its difficulties. We
then turn to India’s involvement
in the UN and its view of Security
Council reforms. The chapter
closes by asking if the UN can play
any role in dealing with a world
dominated by one superpower.
In this chapter we also look
at some other trans-national
organisations that are playing a
crucial role.
Chapter 4
International Organisations
This is the United Nations’ logo. The emblem has a world map
with olive branches around it, signifying world peace.
Credit : www.un.org
Chapter 4.indd 45 14 September 2022 11:03:24
2024-25
Contemporary World Politics
46
Why Internat Ional
o rgan Isat Ions ?
Read the two cartoons on this
page. Both the cartoons comment
on the ineffectiveness of the
United Nations Organisation,
usually referred to as the UN, in
the Lebanon crisis in 2006. Both
the cartoons represent the kind of
opinions that we often hear about
the UN.
On the other hand, we also
find that the UN is generally
regarded as the most important
international organisation in
today’s world. In the eyes of many
people all over the world, it is
indispensable and represents the
great hope of humanity for peace
and progress. Why do we then
need organisations like the UN?
Let us hear two insiders:
“The United Nations was
not created to take humanity to
heaven, but to save it from hell.”
— Dag Hammarskjold, the UN’s
second Secretary-General.
“Talking shop? Yes, there are
a lot of speeches and meetings
at the U.N., especially during the
annual sessions of the General
Assembly. But as Churchill put it,
jaw-jaw is better than war-war.
Isn’t it better to have one place
where all… countries in the world
can get together, bore each other
sometimes with their words rather
than bore holes into each other on
the battlefield?” — Shashi Tharoor,
the former UN Under-Secretary-
General for Communications and
Public Information.
These two quotes suggest
something important.
International organisations are
not the answer to everything, but
they are important. International
organisations help with matters
of war and peace. They also help
countries cooperate to make
better living conditions for us all.
Countries have conflicts and
differences with each other. That
does not necessarily mean they
must go to war to deal with their
That’s what they
say about the
parliament too —
a talking shop. Does
it mean that we need
talking shops?
During June 2006, Israel attacked Lebanon, saying that it was necessary to control the militant group called Hezbollah.
Large numbers of civilians were killed and many public buildings and even residential areas came under Israeli
bombardment. The UN passed a resolution on this only in August and the Israel army withdrew from the region only in
October. Both these cartoons comment on the role of the UN and its Secretary-General in this episode.
© Harry Harrison, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
© Petar Pismestrovic, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
Chapter 4.indd 46 14 September 2022 11:03:25
2024-25
International Organisations
47
antagonisms. They can, instead,
discuss contentious issues and
find peaceful solutions; indeed,
even though this is rarely noticed,
most conflicts and differences
are resolved without going to
war. The role of an international
organisation can be important
in this context. An international
organisation is not a super-state
with authority over its members.
It is created by and responds to
states. It comes into being when
states agree to its creation. Once
created, it can help member states
resolve their problems peacefully.
International organisations
are helpful in another way.
Nations can usually see that
there are some things they must
do together. There are issues that
are so challenging that they can
only be dealt with when everyone
works together. Disease is an
example. Some diseases can only
be eradicated if everyone in the
world cooperates in inoculating or
vaccinating their populations. Or
take global warming and its effects.
As temperatures rise because
of the increase in greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere, there
is a danger that sea levels will
also rise, thereby submerging
many coastal areas of the world
including huge cities. Of course,
each country can try to find its
own solution to the effects of
global warming. But in the end a
more effective approach is to stop
the warming itself. This requires
at least all of the major industrial
powers to cooperate.
Unfortunately, recognising
the need for cooperation and
actually cooperating are two
different things. Nations can
recognise the need to cooperate
but cannot always agree on how
best to do so, how to share the
costs of cooperating, how to
make sure that the benefits of
cooperating are justly divided,
and how to ensure that others do
not break their end of the bargain
and cheat on an agreement. An
international organisation can
help produce information and
ideas about how to cooperate.
It can provide mechanisms,
rules and a bureaucracy,
to help members have more
confidence that costs will be
shared properly, that the benefits
Make a list of issues or
problems (other than
the ones mentioned in
the text) that cannot
be handled by any one
country and require an
international organisation.
IMF
IMF
The International Monetary
Fund (IMF) is an international
organisation that oversees those
financial institutions and regula-
tions that act at the international
level. The IMF has 190 member
countries (as on 19 Febuary 2024) but
they do not enjoy an equal say. The G-7 members
US (16.52%), Japan (6.15%), Germany (5.32%),
France (4.03%), UK (4.03%), Italy (3.02%) and
Canada (2.22%) have 41.29% of the votes.
China (6.09%), India (2.64%), Russia (2.59%)
Brazil (2.22%) and Saudi Arabia (2.02%) are the
other major members.
Chapter 4.indd 47 15-03-2024 11:51:04
2024-25
Page 4
Overview In this chapter we shall discuss the
role of international organisations
after the collapse of the Soviet
Union. We shall examine how,
in this emerging world, there
were calls for the restructuring
of international organisations to
cope with various new challenges
including the rise of US power.
The potential reform of the United
Nations Security Council is an
interesting case of the reform
process and its difficulties. We
then turn to India’s involvement
in the UN and its view of Security
Council reforms. The chapter
closes by asking if the UN can play
any role in dealing with a world
dominated by one superpower.
In this chapter we also look
at some other trans-national
organisations that are playing a
crucial role.
Chapter 4
International Organisations
This is the United Nations’ logo. The emblem has a world map
with olive branches around it, signifying world peace.
Credit : www.un.org
Chapter 4.indd 45 14 September 2022 11:03:24
2024-25
Contemporary World Politics
46
Why Internat Ional
o rgan Isat Ions ?
Read the two cartoons on this
page. Both the cartoons comment
on the ineffectiveness of the
United Nations Organisation,
usually referred to as the UN, in
the Lebanon crisis in 2006. Both
the cartoons represent the kind of
opinions that we often hear about
the UN.
On the other hand, we also
find that the UN is generally
regarded as the most important
international organisation in
today’s world. In the eyes of many
people all over the world, it is
indispensable and represents the
great hope of humanity for peace
and progress. Why do we then
need organisations like the UN?
Let us hear two insiders:
“The United Nations was
not created to take humanity to
heaven, but to save it from hell.”
— Dag Hammarskjold, the UN’s
second Secretary-General.
“Talking shop? Yes, there are
a lot of speeches and meetings
at the U.N., especially during the
annual sessions of the General
Assembly. But as Churchill put it,
jaw-jaw is better than war-war.
Isn’t it better to have one place
where all… countries in the world
can get together, bore each other
sometimes with their words rather
than bore holes into each other on
the battlefield?” — Shashi Tharoor,
the former UN Under-Secretary-
General for Communications and
Public Information.
These two quotes suggest
something important.
International organisations are
not the answer to everything, but
they are important. International
organisations help with matters
of war and peace. They also help
countries cooperate to make
better living conditions for us all.
Countries have conflicts and
differences with each other. That
does not necessarily mean they
must go to war to deal with their
That’s what they
say about the
parliament too —
a talking shop. Does
it mean that we need
talking shops?
During June 2006, Israel attacked Lebanon, saying that it was necessary to control the militant group called Hezbollah.
Large numbers of civilians were killed and many public buildings and even residential areas came under Israeli
bombardment. The UN passed a resolution on this only in August and the Israel army withdrew from the region only in
October. Both these cartoons comment on the role of the UN and its Secretary-General in this episode.
© Harry Harrison, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
© Petar Pismestrovic, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
Chapter 4.indd 46 14 September 2022 11:03:25
2024-25
International Organisations
47
antagonisms. They can, instead,
discuss contentious issues and
find peaceful solutions; indeed,
even though this is rarely noticed,
most conflicts and differences
are resolved without going to
war. The role of an international
organisation can be important
in this context. An international
organisation is not a super-state
with authority over its members.
It is created by and responds to
states. It comes into being when
states agree to its creation. Once
created, it can help member states
resolve their problems peacefully.
International organisations
are helpful in another way.
Nations can usually see that
there are some things they must
do together. There are issues that
are so challenging that they can
only be dealt with when everyone
works together. Disease is an
example. Some diseases can only
be eradicated if everyone in the
world cooperates in inoculating or
vaccinating their populations. Or
take global warming and its effects.
As temperatures rise because
of the increase in greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere, there
is a danger that sea levels will
also rise, thereby submerging
many coastal areas of the world
including huge cities. Of course,
each country can try to find its
own solution to the effects of
global warming. But in the end a
more effective approach is to stop
the warming itself. This requires
at least all of the major industrial
powers to cooperate.
Unfortunately, recognising
the need for cooperation and
actually cooperating are two
different things. Nations can
recognise the need to cooperate
but cannot always agree on how
best to do so, how to share the
costs of cooperating, how to
make sure that the benefits of
cooperating are justly divided,
and how to ensure that others do
not break their end of the bargain
and cheat on an agreement. An
international organisation can
help produce information and
ideas about how to cooperate.
It can provide mechanisms,
rules and a bureaucracy,
to help members have more
confidence that costs will be
shared properly, that the benefits
Make a list of issues or
problems (other than
the ones mentioned in
the text) that cannot
be handled by any one
country and require an
international organisation.
IMF
IMF
The International Monetary
Fund (IMF) is an international
organisation that oversees those
financial institutions and regula-
tions that act at the international
level. The IMF has 190 member
countries (as on 19 Febuary 2024) but
they do not enjoy an equal say. The G-7 members
US (16.52%), Japan (6.15%), Germany (5.32%),
France (4.03%), UK (4.03%), Italy (3.02%) and
Canada (2.22%) have 41.29% of the votes.
China (6.09%), India (2.64%), Russia (2.59%)
Brazil (2.22%) and Saudi Arabia (2.02%) are the
other major members.
Chapter 4.indd 47 15-03-2024 11:51:04
2024-25
Contemporary World Politics
48
will be fairly divided, and that once
a member joins an agreement
it will honour the terms and
conditions of the agreement.
With the end of the Cold War,
we can see that the UN may
have a slightly different role.
As the United States and its
allies emerged victorious, there
was concern amongst many
governments and peoples that
the Western countries led by
the US would be so powerful
that there would be no check
against their wishes and desires.
Can the UN serve to promote
dialogue and discussion with the
US in particular, and could it
limit the power of the American
government? We shall try to
answer this question at the end
of the chapter.
e volut Ion of the un The First World War encouraged
the world to invest in an
international organisation to
deal with conflict. Many believed
that such an organisation would
help the world to avoid war. As a
result, the League of Nations was
born. However, despite its initial
success, it could not prevent the
Second World War (1939-45).
Many more people died and were
wounded in this war than ever
before.
The UN was founded as
a successor to the League of
Nations. It was established in
1945 immediately after the
Second World War. The
1941 August: Signing of the Atlantic Charter by the US
President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British PM Winston S.
Churchill
1942 January: 26 Allied nations fighting against the Axis
Powers meet in Washington, D.C., to support the Atlantic
Charter and sign the ‘Declaration by United Nations’
1943 December: Tehran Conference Declaration of the
Three Powers (US, Britain and Soviet Union)
1945 February: Yalta Conference of the ‘Big Three’
(Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin) decides to organise a United
Nations conference on the proposed world organisation
April-May: The 2-month long United Nations Conference on
International Organisation at San Francisco
1945 June 26: Signing of the UN Charter by 50 nations (Poland
signed on October 15; so the UN has 51 original founding
members)
1945 October 24: the UN was founded (hence October 24
is celebrated as UN Day)
1945 October 30: India joins the UN
The US Office of War Information
created the above poster during
the Second World War as per the
Declaration by United Nations of 1942.
The poster features the flags of all
nations that were part of the Allied
Forces. It reflects the belligerent origins
of the UN.
FOUNDING OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Chapter 4.indd 48 14 September 2022 11:03:26
2024-25
Page 5
Overview In this chapter we shall discuss the
role of international organisations
after the collapse of the Soviet
Union. We shall examine how,
in this emerging world, there
were calls for the restructuring
of international organisations to
cope with various new challenges
including the rise of US power.
The potential reform of the United
Nations Security Council is an
interesting case of the reform
process and its difficulties. We
then turn to India’s involvement
in the UN and its view of Security
Council reforms. The chapter
closes by asking if the UN can play
any role in dealing with a world
dominated by one superpower.
In this chapter we also look
at some other trans-national
organisations that are playing a
crucial role.
Chapter 4
International Organisations
This is the United Nations’ logo. The emblem has a world map
with olive branches around it, signifying world peace.
Credit : www.un.org
Chapter 4.indd 45 14 September 2022 11:03:24
2024-25
Contemporary World Politics
46
Why Internat Ional
o rgan Isat Ions ?
Read the two cartoons on this
page. Both the cartoons comment
on the ineffectiveness of the
United Nations Organisation,
usually referred to as the UN, in
the Lebanon crisis in 2006. Both
the cartoons represent the kind of
opinions that we often hear about
the UN.
On the other hand, we also
find that the UN is generally
regarded as the most important
international organisation in
today’s world. In the eyes of many
people all over the world, it is
indispensable and represents the
great hope of humanity for peace
and progress. Why do we then
need organisations like the UN?
Let us hear two insiders:
“The United Nations was
not created to take humanity to
heaven, but to save it from hell.”
— Dag Hammarskjold, the UN’s
second Secretary-General.
“Talking shop? Yes, there are
a lot of speeches and meetings
at the U.N., especially during the
annual sessions of the General
Assembly. But as Churchill put it,
jaw-jaw is better than war-war.
Isn’t it better to have one place
where all… countries in the world
can get together, bore each other
sometimes with their words rather
than bore holes into each other on
the battlefield?” — Shashi Tharoor,
the former UN Under-Secretary-
General for Communications and
Public Information.
These two quotes suggest
something important.
International organisations are
not the answer to everything, but
they are important. International
organisations help with matters
of war and peace. They also help
countries cooperate to make
better living conditions for us all.
Countries have conflicts and
differences with each other. That
does not necessarily mean they
must go to war to deal with their
That’s what they
say about the
parliament too —
a talking shop. Does
it mean that we need
talking shops?
During June 2006, Israel attacked Lebanon, saying that it was necessary to control the militant group called Hezbollah.
Large numbers of civilians were killed and many public buildings and even residential areas came under Israeli
bombardment. The UN passed a resolution on this only in August and the Israel army withdrew from the region only in
October. Both these cartoons comment on the role of the UN and its Secretary-General in this episode.
© Harry Harrison, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
© Petar Pismestrovic, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
Chapter 4.indd 46 14 September 2022 11:03:25
2024-25
International Organisations
47
antagonisms. They can, instead,
discuss contentious issues and
find peaceful solutions; indeed,
even though this is rarely noticed,
most conflicts and differences
are resolved without going to
war. The role of an international
organisation can be important
in this context. An international
organisation is not a super-state
with authority over its members.
It is created by and responds to
states. It comes into being when
states agree to its creation. Once
created, it can help member states
resolve their problems peacefully.
International organisations
are helpful in another way.
Nations can usually see that
there are some things they must
do together. There are issues that
are so challenging that they can
only be dealt with when everyone
works together. Disease is an
example. Some diseases can only
be eradicated if everyone in the
world cooperates in inoculating or
vaccinating their populations. Or
take global warming and its effects.
As temperatures rise because
of the increase in greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere, there
is a danger that sea levels will
also rise, thereby submerging
many coastal areas of the world
including huge cities. Of course,
each country can try to find its
own solution to the effects of
global warming. But in the end a
more effective approach is to stop
the warming itself. This requires
at least all of the major industrial
powers to cooperate.
Unfortunately, recognising
the need for cooperation and
actually cooperating are two
different things. Nations can
recognise the need to cooperate
but cannot always agree on how
best to do so, how to share the
costs of cooperating, how to
make sure that the benefits of
cooperating are justly divided,
and how to ensure that others do
not break their end of the bargain
and cheat on an agreement. An
international organisation can
help produce information and
ideas about how to cooperate.
It can provide mechanisms,
rules and a bureaucracy,
to help members have more
confidence that costs will be
shared properly, that the benefits
Make a list of issues or
problems (other than
the ones mentioned in
the text) that cannot
be handled by any one
country and require an
international organisation.
IMF
IMF
The International Monetary
Fund (IMF) is an international
organisation that oversees those
financial institutions and regula-
tions that act at the international
level. The IMF has 190 member
countries (as on 19 Febuary 2024) but
they do not enjoy an equal say. The G-7 members
US (16.52%), Japan (6.15%), Germany (5.32%),
France (4.03%), UK (4.03%), Italy (3.02%) and
Canada (2.22%) have 41.29% of the votes.
China (6.09%), India (2.64%), Russia (2.59%)
Brazil (2.22%) and Saudi Arabia (2.02%) are the
other major members.
Chapter 4.indd 47 15-03-2024 11:51:04
2024-25
Contemporary World Politics
48
will be fairly divided, and that once
a member joins an agreement
it will honour the terms and
conditions of the agreement.
With the end of the Cold War,
we can see that the UN may
have a slightly different role.
As the United States and its
allies emerged victorious, there
was concern amongst many
governments and peoples that
the Western countries led by
the US would be so powerful
that there would be no check
against their wishes and desires.
Can the UN serve to promote
dialogue and discussion with the
US in particular, and could it
limit the power of the American
government? We shall try to
answer this question at the end
of the chapter.
e volut Ion of the un The First World War encouraged
the world to invest in an
international organisation to
deal with conflict. Many believed
that such an organisation would
help the world to avoid war. As a
result, the League of Nations was
born. However, despite its initial
success, it could not prevent the
Second World War (1939-45).
Many more people died and were
wounded in this war than ever
before.
The UN was founded as
a successor to the League of
Nations. It was established in
1945 immediately after the
Second World War. The
1941 August: Signing of the Atlantic Charter by the US
President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British PM Winston S.
Churchill
1942 January: 26 Allied nations fighting against the Axis
Powers meet in Washington, D.C., to support the Atlantic
Charter and sign the ‘Declaration by United Nations’
1943 December: Tehran Conference Declaration of the
Three Powers (US, Britain and Soviet Union)
1945 February: Yalta Conference of the ‘Big Three’
(Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin) decides to organise a United
Nations conference on the proposed world organisation
April-May: The 2-month long United Nations Conference on
International Organisation at San Francisco
1945 June 26: Signing of the UN Charter by 50 nations (Poland
signed on October 15; so the UN has 51 original founding
members)
1945 October 24: the UN was founded (hence October 24
is celebrated as UN Day)
1945 October 30: India joins the UN
The US Office of War Information
created the above poster during
the Second World War as per the
Declaration by United Nations of 1942.
The poster features the flags of all
nations that were part of the Allied
Forces. It reflects the belligerent origins
of the UN.
FOUNDING OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Chapter 4.indd 48 14 September 2022 11:03:26
2024-25
International Organisations
49
Adapted from http://www.newint.org/issue375/pics/un-map-big.gif
For more details about the UN System, visit www.un.org
Chapter 4.indd 49 14 September 2022 11:03:27
2024-25
Read More