ABSTRACT

What are the distinguishing characteristics of an integrated organisation as opposed to other international organisations that governments join? Professor Alan Milward and Vibeke Sorensen made the distinction clear between integrated and interdependent organisations (Milward et al., 1993, chapter 1). International organisations such as the Organization of Co-operation and Development (OECD), the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operate on the basis of ‘interdependence’, i.e. a group of national governments co-operate together in certain policy areas, agreements are made based on mutual co-operation. Such organisations do not interfere with the policy-making of their member states, their decisions do not overrule national policies and there is little if any power or sanction to impose policies on member states. This is the most common type of international organisation or basis of agreement.