The Role of International Organizations in IR Theory

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of international relations theory, specifically focusing on the role and significance of international organizations within the frameworks of realism and liberalism. It begins by defining international organizations, differentiating between intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and tracing their development in the context of post-World War II reconstruction efforts. The essay then delves into the core tenets of realism and liberalism, examining how each theory perceives the impact and influence of international organizations on global politics. The essay explores the realist perspective, highlighting the emphasis on state power, security, and self-interest, and contrasting it with the liberal perspective, which emphasizes cooperation, interdependence, and the role of institutions in fostering peaceful relations. The essay also discusses neo-realism and neo-liberal institutionalism, and concludes by summarizing the differing viewpoints of realists and liberals regarding the effectiveness and impact of international organizations in shaping global dynamics.

Running head: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY
International Relations Theory
Name of the Student
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Author Note

1INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY
The international relations theories enables to comprehend the world through several
lenses each representing various and distinct theoretical perspectives. Traditionally, there have
been two essential International relations theories namely, the realism and liberalism theories.
Although there have been several other theories that exists in International relations which
includes institutionalism, constructivism, neo-Grascianism and other contradicting theories,
but, the liberalism and realism theories remain to be fundamental and the most prevalent
international relations theories. International Organizations have become an essential part of the
international relations and the significance of the international organizations increases with an
enhancement in the interdependence. At the centre of any forms of economic and political
challenges in the 21st century, the presence of the international organizations can be rightfully
traced. This essay entails the significant role that international organizations play in the context
of eh international relations theories (Kelley & Simmons, 2015). It further discusses about role of
an actor played such international organizations with the objective to achieve common purpose
or goals. It would further lay emphasis on the importance of the international organizations and
the extent to which it has a impact on global politics and international relations through the two
fundamental international relations theories of Liberalism and Realism.
International organizations are formal institutional structures that surpass national
boundaries that resulted from the multilateral agreement among the nation-states. The
international organizations have been established with the sole objective to promote international
cooperation in fields like law, economic, security, diplomacy and social matters. The
international organization can be categorized into intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and
non-governmental organization (NGOs). IGOs refer to the entities that are established with
sufficient organizational structure and autonomy. These organizations strive to provide formal,
multilateral and ongoing processes of decision making between the states along with the capacity
to implement the collective of the member states. On the other hand, the NGOs refer to the non-
state voluntary organizations that are created by individuals with an objective to attain common
purpose that are frequently associated with public good and beyond the individuals themselves.
The development of these huge representative bodies can be traced back to the end of the
World War II when there arose a need to reconstruct the world through the international
relations. Since the development of the international organizations with respect to the

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international relations, there has been acceleration in the development of such organizations who
strive to work on economic and socio-political aspect with several and particular objectives
while approaching groups, individuals, societies and states. The Realism and the Liberalism
international relations theories enable to comprehend the impact of the international
organizations (Klabbers, 2015).
Realism is an essential International Relations Theory that is based on negative attitude
and perspective of human nature. The fundamental aspect of this international relations theory
lies in the qualified power of state because there is no world government to impose stability and
order, which enables the state to involve in self-help activities and ensure their basic survival
interests including survival, power capability and security. The realists argue that security and
power are two essential concepts as they are related to the states within the international system.
Due to the importance given to the concept of power and state security, several realists considers
international organizations to be entities that merely aids the states attain its objective in terms of
the security ad increased power. In the words of Figuié (2014), the states do not surrender to the
international institutions and the international organizations play less important role and merely
demonstrate national power and interests, thus they do not restrict powerful states. One such
instance is that of the US hegemony and the use of International organizations as a source for
expanding power for achieving guarantee security and self-interest.
Thus, for the believers of realism theory, international organizations are either important
only when the international organizations operate to achieve the interests of the states or the
international organizations do not matter to the realists. According to Forsythe (2017) realists
hardly believe that the international organizations fail to prevent powerful countries from
pursuing something if their interests are not in accordance to the concerned issue. Nevertheless,
this does not imply that international organizations are not considered important to the realists at
all but rather, international organizations are often considered to fail to achieve as it is expected
to achieve. As Keck (2015) asserts that these international; organizations play a significant role
in great power calculations that is something aligned to the state interests.
As mentioned earlier, that the international organizations have been used by great powers
and hegemony like the US to achieve their interests in the international system. There are other
non-great power states that may also use the international organizations to achieve their

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objectives and goals and to have a proper say within the existing system. In respect to the issues
related to realism as related to international law, which forms an essential part of the
international organizations is either irrelevant to the realism theory believers or it only serves to
be beneficial to the state and to their objectives of security and power, similar to the international
organizations themselves.
The neo-realist approach states that the international organizations are always
fundamentally not effective as the organizations fail to deter the states from being self-interested
and engaging in power politics. Michaelow (2017) believes that international organizations have
marginal power which paves the way to various power relations between state, thus, making
them expression of power in the international system. Nevertheless, the realists have also argued
that the international organizations matter as it provides a mechanism for the complicity of great
power. The fact that the international organizations are great powers, it implies that they are
performing well under the prevailing institutions and rules. Sewell (2015) states that
international organizations are useful for making trivial adjustments within the prevailing order
without compromising with the basic fundamental norms and principles. Furthermore, the right
to control and create International organizations is apparently, what the most powerful states
have fought for in the destructive wars in the past.
The liberalism international relations theory refers to the post-war structure for global
politics that is based on the construction of a political, legal and global system, which goes
beyond the state, ensuring protection to all human subjects. This international relations theory is
based on two basic concepts, firstly, interdependence liberalism theory that considers
modernization as means of enhancing the level of interdependence of states. Secondly,
institutional liberalism theory that considers international institutions as mechanisms to foster or
encourage cooperation between the states within the international system. The assumptions of
this theory are based on modernization and positive human progress, which eventually leads to
cooperation. Modernization refers to the process of creating progress not only in most areas of
life as well as development of a modern state.
Due to modernization, cooperation based on mutual interests shall succeed as it increases
the scope and level of international relations where the international expenses are lower and the
levels of higher interdependence are high. Therefore, in the event of high degree of

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interdependence, states will often establish international institutions to deal with the issues and
optimize welfare. These international organizations have been established to foster cooperation
across international boundaries by reducing the expenses and endowing with information. The
international organizations can be categorized as formal organizations such as WTO (World
trade organization) and European Union (EU) or they can be less formal sets of agreements
that are commonly known as regimes. The Liberalism international relation theory considers
international cooperation and progress are fundamental characteristics that constrain the non-
state actors, International organizations and the states. The liberalist theorists consider these
various institutions to be accountable for dealing with international problems in a legal, peaceful
and human way.
According to Yi-Chong (2017), the structural changes made in the international relations
during the post-cold war period have empowered new forms of actors providing them with new
opportunities to act. Some of the structural changes include privatization and globalization.
Globalization has weakened the association between the territory enclosed by state border and
social action. Privatization that was led by Reagan and Thatcher has amalgamated the change in
relations between social power and states. The success of the US and the liberal model,
privatization has influenced several organizations to change the cold-war style of bipolarity of
states and thrust for liberal capitalist change that symbolized the presence of several actors.
The neo-liberalism institutionalism unlike the neo-realism, lays emphasize on the
significance of the importance of UN’s work with regional organization, as they are fundamental
in the international diplomatic process predicting. This form of international relations theory
stresses on the attempts made by the UN to coordinate the state actions and harmonize the world
community despite it face numerous challenges while gathering Member states and asking them
to follow its vision and principles.
The disagreement between the realist and liberalist theories of international relations as
well as other such theories does jot lies in over the significance of the role of the international
organizations and its existence or that they are found when there is high cooperation, rather on
the claim whether they have an independent impact. According to Yi-Chong (2017), the realist
theory supporters would perceive the viewpoint where they would consider the international
organizations to provide minimum change to the constant power struggle for the sole reason that

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they are unable to change human nature that yearns for power. The international organizations
can neither bring any change in the nature of the anarchical system. On the other hand, the
liberalist theory believers cannot perceive a contemporary world where the government is solely
responsible to execute all duties towards the nation. According to the viewpoints of the
liberalists, cooperation has caused the states to become interdependent and has paved new paths
for the new actors who have the willingness to work more together with efficiency.
International organizations cannot be only considered as the study of relations between
international governments. The interdependent relations between people and the voluntary
organizations that have common characteristics are compelled to be cooperative as compared to
the relations between states because states are exclusive and that their interests are not
interrelated. Realists considers that state is the ultimate authority and that the states sigh
interstate treaties, propagate wide-ranging rules to regulate desired govern activity and create
international law. Liberal theorists states that powerful states cannot be restrained completely.
The institutional liberals disagree with the fact that the international organizations are at the
mercy of the powerful states. They believe that the international organizations are capable of
influencing international relations and they criticize the viewpoints of the realists. They state that
several other members and state actors instead of powerful states lead the International
organizations (Michaelowa, 2017).
From the above discussion, it can be inferred that when states associates with the
international organization, there are certain obligations that must be carried out and are known as
rule of the international organization. This essay entailed the importance of the international
organizations in world or global politics and that its role is dependent on the theoretical
framework and the construction of the institutional system. In case of the realist and neo-realist
believers, international organizations will remain to be effective as they will not be able to
change the anarchic structure of the international system and neither can they change the desire
for power that the states within the international system yearns for. The liberalist and the neo-
liberalist believers opinionated that the international organizations are capable of influencing the
conduct of the state by developing string incentives for cooperation and implementing
disincentives at the same time (Roach, Griffiths & O'Callaghan, 2014). The UN system is one
forum for nations that unites to resolve issues that concerns the international community.

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It is often observed that forum such as the UN are often prevented to act and then accused
of non-performance. Therefore, if the failures of the UN system are ignored and the virtue of the
UN system is given more importance, it can be inferred that the UN system is an effective center
for harmonizing discussions and developing common goals for states.

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