POLITICAL SCIENCE 183

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (IOs)

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is a study of the development, structures, functions, problems, and
prospects of international organizations (IGOs or international government organizations), with an
extended discussion on non-state international organizations, within the broader context of world
politics and development. State or governmental IOs have been in existence for over a century but
the response to global problems has also seen the rise of many nongovernmental IOs (INGOs). The
IOs will be studied in relation to the traditional problems of international security, the global
distribution of wealth, and threats to social welfare but special attention will also be devoted to
human rights, environment, womens rights, and other issues.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

1. Develop an overview of the theory and functioning of international organizations in
addressing global or regional problems, whether effectively or otherwise;
2. Appraise the historical antecedents and trends in the growth of international organizations;
3. Identify the various types of key international organizations and discuss the roles and
characteristics of each;
4. Evaluate the past and present performance as well as future prospects of international
organizations (IGOs & INGOs) in the world community based on their avowed objectives


COURSE OUTLINE & REQUIRED READINGS

(June 16 & 23, 2012)

I. Introduction

a) Approaches to the study of international organizations
b) The nature of international organization
c) The basic assumption of international organization
d) Definitions and types of IOs: What is an INGO, civil society, etc.?
e) Transnational or multinational corporations

Required readings:


(June 30 & July 7, 2012)

II. Evolutionary Development, Structures, and Functions of International Organizations

a) 19
th
Century: Concert of Europe, The Hague System, Public International Unions
b) 20
th
Century:
Establishment of the League of Nations (sources and nature)
Origins of the UN System (sources and nature)
c) Other international organizations (or IGOs) established during the period
International institutions for finance and trade (World Bank, IMF, World Trade
Organization)
Military alliances or treaty organizations (NATO)
Economic and regional cooperation (EU, Asean)
Specialized international agencies: maritime, immigration, trafficking

Required readings:

First short paper

(July 14, 2012)

III. Institutions and Processes of International Organization

a) Typical structure
b) Role(s) of international organizations
c) Decision-making in IGOs

Constitutional problems (membership, regionalism, voting, veto)
Issues of state sovereignty, accountability, compliance, and international obligations

Required readings:


IV. Functions, Approaches, Impact, and Performance of International Organizations
(with specific case studies)

a) International security & conflict resolution
b) Global distribution of wealth
c) Social welfare
d) Foreign aid
e) Special issues: human rights, immigration (land-based & sea-based), environment & climate
change, womens rights

Required readings:


V. The Rise of International Non-Government Organizations (INGOs) in the Global
Context

a) The origins of international NGOs in the global situation (wars and armed conflicts, security,
economy, human rights, and other conditions)
b) The myth of global development models and approaches from the 1940s to the present
c) Study of selected international NGOs (as against state-sponsored INGOs) based on specific
issues and case studies: Role, functions, and performance
d) Peoples diplomacy versus state diplomacy

Required readings:


VI. Global Cooperation and Governance in the 21
st
Century: Reforms and Prospects

a) Multilateralism vs unilateralism
b) Global inter-dependence or re-assertion of state sovereignty

Required readings:


COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Each student is required to submit two short papers or reports to be assigned by the
instructor beforehand.
2. Group report: The class will be divided into groups with the following tasks to report an
assigned topic in the beginning of a class session; and to submit a group research on an IGO
or INGO focusing on specific issue(s) with oral presentations held toward the last phase of
the course.
3. Surprise quizzes
4. Two major exams: Mid-term and final

GRADING

1. 2 short papers (one is a book review), surprise quizzes, and class participation: 25%
2. Individual contribution in the Group Report (oral and written): 25%
3. Mid-term exam: 25%
4. Final exam: 25%

CLASS POLICIES

1. PS 183 is an interactive course: The instructor provides the framework and broad strokes of
topics while the students provide the specifics and other details. Be inquisitive.
2. Class preparedness is the key: The student is expected to have read and digested assigned
readings and did additional research; assigned class groups are expected to present
summaries of topics of the day to begin the regular discussion.
3. University rules on class attendance such as number of absences incurred will be applied.
4. Student integrity and honesty are important, hence, plagiarism (a form of cheating) is an
absolute no-no especially for papers to be submitted. This means plagiarism, depending on
its magnitude, will result in a failing grade.
5. Deadlines particularly for paper submissions are absolute.
6. The use of laptops will be allowed but only for note-taking and not for internet or social
networking. Cell phones should be switched off during the class.
7. No special examinations will be allowed in advance or later except for irremediable causes.
8. Faculty-student consultation is encouraged but should be requested ahead of time.


LIST OF REQUIRED READINGS
(Mostly available at the CAS library)

Inis L. Claude, Jr., Swords into Plowshares: The Problems and Progress of International Organization
(__) Toronto: Random House of Canada, particularly Chapters 1-4, 11 & other chapters

Margaret P. Karns and Karen A. Mingst, International Organizations: The Politics and Processes of
Global Governance, 2nd edition (subject to availability)

Selected Readings (selected chapters):

(Theories) Ray Maghoori & Bennett Ramberg (ed.) Globalism vs Realism: International Relations
Third Debate (1982) Westview Press, Inc.

(Historical) Stephen S. Goodspeed, The Nature and Function of International Organization (1967)
Oxford University Press

(On the UN) James Traub, The Best Intentions: Kofi Annan and the UN in the Era of American World
Power (2007) NY: Picador; Farrar, Straus & Giroux (Tuazon library)

(Issues of globalization) D. Stanley Eitzen and Maxine Baca Zinn (ed.), Globalization: The
Transformation of Social Worlds (2006) Thomson / Wadsworth

(Global context 21
st
Century) Paul Kennedy, Preparing for the 21
st
Century (1993) NY: Random House
(Tuazon library)

(Politics of the UN) David A. Kay (ed.) The Changing United Nations: Options of the U.S. (1977) NY:
The Academy of Political Science

(Failure of collective security) Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Understanding International Conflicts: An
Introduction to Theory and History (1997) Longman; particularly Chapter 41 (failure of collective
security and WW2)

(World economy, oil energy today) Michael T. Klare, Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New
Geopolitics of Energy (2008) NY: Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt & Company (Tuazon library)

(Evaluation of IOs) Michael E. Brown, Owen R. Cote, Jr., Sean M. Lynn-Jones, & Steven E. Miller,
Theories of War and Peace (1998) The MIT Press

(World order & the future) Jose Ma. Sison, For Justice, Socialism, and Peace (2009) Philippines: Aklat
ng Bayan (selections, Tuazon library)

OTHER REFERENCES FOR THIS COURSE

World Wide Web Resources

Because this is a course on international organizations, there are a lot of international organizations to
which we can link. A meta-list of international organizations can be found at
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govpub/resource/internat/igo.html. Following, you will find links to
a selection of scholarly resources, organizations, and news from the world of international
organizations/international affairs:

Amnesty International (Human rights promotion INGO) http://www.amnesty.org/
Arab League (Official) http://www.arableagueonline.org/arableague/index_en.jsp
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APECOfficial) http://www.apecsec.org.sg
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEANOfficial) http://www.asean.or.id
Atlantic Online (Contemporary affairs publication) http://www.theatlantic.com/foreign/
Commonwealth (Official) http://www.thecommonwealth.org/
EU Observer (News about the EU) http://www.euobserver.com/
Euroguide (Guide to the European Union, United Kingdom) http://www.euroguide.org/
European Governments Online (from the EU) http://europa.eu.int/abc/governments/index_en.html
European Union Online (Official) http://europa.eu.int/index_en.htm
Francophonie (Organization of French-speaking countriesOfficial) http://www.francophonie.org/oif.cfm
Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAAOfficial) http://www.ftaa-alca.org/Alca_e.asp
Freedom House (NGO) http://www.freedomhouse.org/
G-8 Information Center from the University of Toronto (Unofficial) http://www.g7.utoronto.ca/
G-77 (Group of 77 developing countriesOfficial) http://www.g77.org/
Global Policy Forum (NGO working on UN affairs) http://www.globalpolicy.org/
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC, Persian Gulf statesOfficial) http://www.gcc-sg.org/index_e.html
International Labor Organization (ILOOfficial) http://www.ilo.org/
Missions to the UN (with links to missions websites) http://www.un.int/index-en/webs.html
Non-Aligned Movement (Official) http://www.nam.gov.za/
New York Times http://www.nytimes.com (site requires registration, but its free)
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATOOfficial) http://www.nato.int
Organization of American States (OASOfficial) http://www.oas.org/
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OICOfficial) http://www.oic-oci.org
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPECOfficial)
http://www.opec.org/homepage/frame.htm
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARCOfficial) http://www.saarc-sec.org/
South Center (IO of developing countries) http://www.southcentre.org/
Transparency International (INGO working against corruption) http://www.transparency.org/
United Nations (Official) http://www.un.org/english/
United Nations Documentation Center http://www.un.org/documents/
United Nations News (Official) http://www.un.org/News/
United Nations News (Yahoo!) http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/World/United_Nations/
US Mission to the United Nations http://www.un.int/usa/
US Department of State, International Organization Affairs (Official) http://www.state.gov/p/io/
World Bank (Official) http://www.worldbank.org/
World Trade Organization (WTOOfficial) http://www.wto.org
World Wide Web Virtual Library (WWWVL) International Affairs Resources http://www.etown.edu/vl/

Periodicals, Scholarly Journals, and US Government Publications

As wonderful as the web is for finding information, especially on international organizations, periodicals
and scholarly journals still form the backbone of our academic work. Some periodicals and journals helpful
for the study of International Organizations and International Affairs are listed below:

*Philippine Political Science Journal http://www.tandfonline.com/rpsj
American Political Science Review
Asian Survey
European Journal of International Relations
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Policy
International Organization
International Security
International Studies Quarterly
International Studies Review
Journal of Conflict Resolution
PS Political Science
Pacific Review
Survival
Washington Quarterly
World Politics


FACULTY FOR PS 183
Bobby Tuazon
1
st
Semester, AY 2012-2013
Political Science Program
Department of Social Sciences
CAS, UP Manila