ABSTRACT
As this Chapter explains, in the context of international organizations, disputes stem from arguments regarding whether a State is acting in compliance with a specific treaty or agreement that was created under the auspices of the international organization, while others stem from general assertions that a State is acting against the purpose of the international organization. Regardless of their source, the majority of dispute settlement mechanisms seek to settle the dispute at the internal level first. While some international organizations do allow for an appeal to an outside entity in the event that the internal dispute settlement mechanism does not work, others have created a complex appeals system within the organization. Although many different international organizations and forms of dispute settlement mechanisms will be discussed throughout this Chapter, the one common thread between them all is that they seek to ensure the survival of the international organization at the same time as seek to ensure that the Member States of the organization have a voice and a mechanism for intervention.
