International Organizations and International Relations

Author: Zhang Guihong Compiler/Nationality:
Publisher:
Publishing Time: 2004-09-01
Features: [Excerpt:] In Asia and the Pacific region, one of the more successful subregional international organizations is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On July 31, 1961, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines established the "Southeast Asian Association" in Bangkok to promote economic cooperation. However, due to tense relations between Southeast Asian countries at the time, particularly the territorial dispute between Malaysia and the Philippines, regional cooperation was temporarily hindered. On August 6, 1967, foreign ministers from Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore issued the Bangkok Declaration, announcing the establishment of the ASEAN. The formation of ASEAN provided a good platform for regional cooperation in Southeast Asia. Additionally, during the Cold War, other international organizations in the Asia-Pacific region included the South Pacific Commission (founded in 1947), the Australia-United States-Canada Council (established in 1952), the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (founded in 1954), the South Pacific Forum (established in 1971), and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (founded in 1985).
In the Americas, the historically long-standing regional international organization, the Pan-American Union, was renamed the Organization of American States in 1948 and became the most comprehensive regional organization in the Americas. During the Cold War, Central America and Latin America saw the emergence of numerous subregional economic and trade cooperation organizations, such as the Organization of Central American States (founded in 1951), the Caribbean Community and Common Market (founded in 1960), the Latin American Parliament (established in 1964), the Andean Community (founded in 1969), the Caribbean Community and Common Market (established in 1973), the Latin American Economic System (founded in 1975), the Latin American Integration Association (founded in 1980), and the Rio Group (founded in 1986).
In Africa, the largest regional international organization is the Organization of African Unity. In 1961, seven independent countries in West and North Africa advocating socialism formed the Casablanca Group, while the other 20 independent and sovereign states in Africa opposed socialism and formed the Monrovia Group. From May 22 to 26, 1963, the leaders of 31 independent African countries held a summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and after negotiations, decided to dissolve the two groups and establish the Organization of African Unity. The East African Community, composed of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, was founded in 1967 but dissolved in 1977 due to political divisions and economic friction among member states. It was officially restored in 1999. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), established in 1975, is the largest subregional economic cooperation organization in Africa. Additionally, during the Cold War, numerous transregional international organizations emerged, with the most influential including the Group of Seven (G7), the Group of 77, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and the Arab League.
### III. Rapid Development of Specialized International Organizations
Specialized international organizations are those whose primary function is to promote cooperation in a specific field, with their history dating back to the establishment of the Rhine River Commission in 1815. In the 19th century, with the advancement of science and technology and the frequent international exchanges, numerous international organizations emerged to handle and coordinate administrative or technical affairs, leading to the rapid development of specialized international organizations. After World War II, various specialized international organizations rapidly expanded across all levels of international relations. The development of specialized international organizations is primarily reflected in the intergovernmental specialized agencies established in relation to the United Nations. United Nations specialized agencies have three key characteristics:
(1) They operate in specialized fields, including industry, agriculture, trade, finance, aviation, maritime, postal services, telecommunications, meteorology, education, science, culture, health, and labor.
(2) They maintain a legal connection with the United Nations. Under the agreements with specialized agencies, the United Nations acknowledges their scope of authority, while the agencies recognize the United Nations' right to make recommendations and coordinate their activities. Specialized agencies submit regular reports to the United Nations, and representatives from both sides attend each other's meetings, though without voting rights. The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations is responsible for coordinating relations between the United Nations and specialized agencies.
(3) They have an independent legal status. Specialized agencies have their own member states, associated member states, and observers, and the member states of the United Nations are not necessarily member states of the specialized agencies. They have their own charters of organization, organizational structures, rules of procedure, and sources of funding, and their resolutions and activities do not require approval from the United Nations. Specialized agencies have the right to enter into treaties with states and other international organizations. The United Nations has 18 specialized agencies.
At the regional and transregional levels, specialized international organizations also developed significantly, including the International Energy Agency (IEA), OPEC, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), the World Tourism Organization, the International Organization for Migration, and the Inter-American Development Bank.
### IV. Emergence of Numerous International Economic Organizations
International economic organizations are the most numerous, most active, most influential, and most effective international organizations. In the 19th century, the Universal Postal Union was primarily an international economic organization. After World War II, international economic organizations entered a new era of continuous development. "By the mid-1950s, especially during the 1960s and 1970s, international economic organizations experienced extremely rapid growth, a phenomenon unprecedented in world history. Statistics show that out of the more than 3,000 international economic organizations worldwide, 809% were established during this period."
The main factors driving the emergence of numerous international economic organizations after World War II include:
(1) The need to rebuild post-war economies. Due to the devastation caused by war, the economies of European countries in the early post-war period faced severe difficulties. To support the economic recovery of Western Europe and stabilize its political situation, while also to capture and dominate the European market and achieve economic penetration and control, the United States proposed the Marshall Plan. To implement this plan, Western European countries established the Organization for European Economic Cooperation, which was later reorganized into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, to achieve economic recovery and promote common economic development, also established the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.
(2) The result of economic integration. From the European Coal and Steel Community to the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, and then to the European Community, the continuous expansion and deepening of economic cooperation among Western European countries are the main manifestations and outcomes. The collective security concept's attempt was in the aftermath of World War I, marked by the creation of the League of Nations. However, the League of Nations lacked "teeth" to enforce peace and did not clearly obligate member states to participate in military sanctions. Therefore, its failure was not surprising. The decline of the League of Nations was due to the rise of the balance-of-power system. Around the 1930s, to escape the economic crisis and redivide spheres of influence, Germany, Italy, and Japan embarked on an expansionist path and established the Axis powers. The intensification of armament races and the resurgence of alliance diplomacy demonstrated that major powers were still pursuing a balance of power, and the new balance-of-power system was restored and began to function. However, this system was unstable and, by the late 1930s, collapsed completely with the outbreak of war. The collective security concept seemed to offer a "golden key" to achieving peace, only to discover it was a "rusty old lock."
World War II made the international community realize the shortcomings and inadequacies of the League of Nations, but people still believed that to avoid or at least restrain war, some form of international organization must be established. The war led to the complete failure of the League of Nations but paved the way for another collective security system. As early as 1941, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union were already considering establishing a "broad and permanent universal security system" during the war. On January 1, 1942, 26 anti-fascist countries, including China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, signed the Declaration by United Nations, from which the name "United Nations" originated. The Dumbarton Oaks Conference held from August to October 1944 released the "Proposal for the Establishment of a Universal International Organization," which outlined the basic framework and content of the future United Nations Charter and sketched the blueprint for the United Nations. Four months after the conclusion of the San Francisco Constitutional Conference in April–June 1945, the United Nations was officially established. The following April, the League of Nations held its final assembly in Geneva and decided to transfer its powers and functions to the United Nations, marking the end of its 27-year history. The disappearance of an old international organization and the birth of a new one were accompanied by humanity's helplessness toward war and its hopeful expectations for peace.