ABSTRACT
Defining who will be a Member State of an international organization is essentially a step in defining parameters and interests of the international organization itself. Membership requirements and allowances demonstrate the commitment of the organization to its goals and purposes and determine how the organization will function in the long and short term. The reasons for membership inclusion or exclusion can be highly rational or seemingly irrational depending on the policy issues involved and the aims to be advanced by the organization. This Chapter sets out the international law standards for membership in international organizations, emphasizing areas in which these standards are used to unify would-be Member States as a group and to create – or at the very least acknowledge – differences between States. Further, the Chapter discusses the ways in which international organization membership can be used by a State to validate its legitimacy in specific sectors.
