How well do IR’s main theories explain the structure and

How well do IR’s main theories explain the structure and functioning of IOs?
International organizations (IO's) are a relatively new concept, first emerging in the
nineteenth century and became increasingly more important over the twentieth century
(Rittberger, 2012). Today, international organizations have permeated through nearly all
political, social, economic, religious and cultural issue areas and they have become an
integral part of the international system and are fundamental in inter-state relations. The
structure of an IO refers to the obligations associated with the IO, the mandate of the IO and
the rules that govern it. When discussing the functioning of an IO we are referring to the
compliance of the IOs members, its policies and output and the effectiveness of the IO. In this
essay, I will be considering how well realism as one of international relations main theories
explains the structure and functioning of IOs, namely the United Nations (UN) and the World
Trade Organisation (WTO). Firstly, I shall discuss the realist theory of international relations,
obtaining mostly to the realist beliefs surrounding international organization. I will then
consider the UN, firstly discussing a general background of the IO before considering the
structure of the UN, in reference to its structure of the organization's main organs and the
rules that govern them. I will consider how realism can explain the structure and governing
rules of the UN Security Council (SC); especially pertaining to the Permanent Five (P5)
members of the SC and the power of their power veto powers. Following on from this I shall
use realist principles to explain the effectiveness of the UN’s peacekeeping policies and
missions. I shall then examine the structure and functioning’s of the WTO from the realist
perspective. After giving a brief description of the IO, I will discuss the mandate of the WTO,
which at a glance may appear hard to explain using realist thought, I assert that the creation

of the WTO, in reference to the Bretton Woods Conference can be explained using the realist
ideas of Hegemonic Stability Theory. I will then discuss how with the framework of the
WTO; great powers have a great ability to bend the rules due to their economic advantages
and power influence.
“At realisms core is the belief that international affairs are a struggle for power among self-
interested states” (Snyder, 2004). The realist school of thought encompasses a range of
approaches and claims a long theoretical tradition, dating back past the likes of Machiavelli
and Hobbes to Thucydides (460-395 BCE). Realism comes in many varieties, however, most
realist approaches to international relations share a number of core principles (Dunoff, 2016).
These core principles assert firstly that states are the most important actors in the
international system, realist acknowledge that other actors exist (such as IOs and NGOs) but
maintain that states are the only actors that truly affect international relations because there is
no power overarching authority above sovereign states; this is known as anarchy of the
system. The anarchical structure of the international system differs from that of a national
political system because in the international system there is no supranational authority that
holds the monopoly on force and that is capable on wielding overwhelming power
(Rittberger, 2012), whereas within the domestic system we know that the state itself holds
this power. Anarchy of the system can lead to a situation where the struggle for more power
and security can lead to the threat and even the use of force (Rittberger, 2012); because of
this realist believe that security is the central problem for all states in international relations
and that security is a competitive endeavour (Grieco, 2015). These core principles differ
slightly differ between the various strands of realism. Classical realist such as Morgenthau
(1948) held the belief that it is human nature to strive for power and thus classical realist
assume that within the international system states continuous quest for power is led by

individual’s human nature (Rittberger, 2012). Neorealist, however, does not assume that it is
human nature that drives states to strive for power, but it is instead the “anarchical structure
of the international system which compels a state to pursue a predominantly security-oriented
policy of maximizing autonomy and influence by means of power” (Waltz, 1990 cited in
Rittberger, 2012). Now that I have discussed the overarching principles of realism, I will now
introduce some idea that will help to explain the functioning of IOs. Core realists such as
Waltz assert that the structure of IOs is a reflection of power distribution in the international
system and that IOs although generating outcomes that are Pareto improving they often still
are skewed towards powerful states (Dunoff, 2016). IOs tend to reflect the balance of power
that is seen in the international system for example IOs such as the UN and those who
institutions of the Bretton Woods Conference can be expected to “bare the imprint” of the
main hegemonic power in the international system which in this case is the United States
(Archer, 2014). Similarly, realist theory claims that IOs do little to help in the continuous
power struggle between states as they cannot change human nature or the anarchical system
that leads states to strive for more power (Rittberger, 2012). Instead, realists believe that IOs
are simply tools of powerful states to implement their own power politics and pursue self-
interest; the success of an IO according to realist is thus dependent on the existence of a great
power that possesses overwhelming power resources (Rittberger, 2012). Neo-realist Keohane
(1980, cited in Rittberger, 2012) believes that IOs can only contribute to international
cooperation if there is a hegemonic state that is willing to bear a large proportion of the
cooperation costs and thus binds other states into the organization using ‘carrots and sticks’.
The United Nations was promulgated on the 24th of October 1945 after being unanimously
adopted and signed by 51 member states; today 192 member states have now adopted the
charted and become members of the United Nations. The UN’s core aim is to ‘maintain