Reforming International Organizations - Einzelansicht

During the last decades International Organizations (IOs) have become ever more important actors in International Relations due to the end of Cold War bipolarity, the pressure of globalization and not least because of the decreasing capabilities of the nation state in many policy fields. The term “global governance” most prominently symbolizes the rise of IOs, who are perceived to be key structures in a strongly interdependent world logically to be organized beyond national borders.

However, many traditional IOs are at the same time experiencing political and organizational crisis. Politically, IOs are criticized for a their lack of democratic accountability, whilst many are also facing paralysis because of new divisions among their members. Organizationally, most IOs did not yet manage to enhance their autonomy vis-à-vis their member states and thus still have to cope with the same collective action-problems they faced at the time of their foundation.  Moreover, it is a fact that the strong dynamics of a developing multipolar world order are putting increased pressure on traditional IOs, forcing them to defend or re-evaluate their mandate, search for new partners in order to enhance legitimacy and find new financial sources.

The seminar, working with a variety of cases (UN, NATO, OSCE, IMF, OECD etc.), aims to give an answer on three broad questions: First, what is the place of IOs in the study of International Relations today and which theories and concepts are most suitable to explain both the promises and limits of IOs as actors of world politics?; Second, what are the major debates dominating the current discourse about IOs, e.g. are they effective?, do they possess democratic legitimacy?, do they become more autonomous from their principals?; and how are IOs to be reformed?; Finally, which differences do we observe here between IOs active in policy fields such as security, economics, human rights etc. and what do they tell us about the feasibility of a major reform of International Organizations?

Selected Readings:

Michael N. Barnett and Martha Finnemore, The Politics, Power, and Pathologies of International Organizations, in: International Organization, Vol. 53, No. 4 (Autumn, 1999), pp. 699-732.

Kevin P. Clements, (eds.), The Center Holds : United Nations Reform for 21st Century Challenges, New Brunswick [u.a.] : Transaction Publ., 2008.

Bob Reinalda, Routledge History of International Organizations - From 1815 to the Present Day, London: Routledge, 2009.

Wolfgang Richter, Sicherheitsgemeinschaft OSZE, Wie kann die Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa gestärkt werden?, in: SWP-Aktuell 2013/A, unter:http://www.swp-berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/aktuell/2013A17_rrw.pdf.

Michael Zürn, Global Governance and Legitimacy Problems, in: Government and Opposition, Vol. 39, No. 2 (2004), pp. 260-287.

Das Seminar beginnt am 25. April.

Es gelten nur die Termine, zu denen ein Raum angegeben ist.

The seminar language is English and a thorough knowledge of IR theories and the history of major International Organizations is a requirement. Every participant is expected to do a 20minute presentation on a topic of the seminar’s agenda and write a research paper of app. 25 pages. Alternatively, the research paper can be substituted by two smaller essay assignments (to be handed in during the course) and a short research paper of app. 15 pages.