ABSTRACT

This chapter details several major intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) in terms of their structures and functions. The purpose of the chapter is to provide an abbreviated overview of some of the IGOs central to international relations. The United Nations' central purposes are as follows: to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to address economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems; and to promote respect for universal human rights. The European Union (EU) represents the highest degree of economic, political, and social integration found in a contemporary international organization. The chapter also examines nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and multinational corporations (MNCs) in terms of their general characteristics and their organizational interests. NGOs are private, nonprofit organizations that have transnational as well as subnational ties. NGOs interact with a variety of international actors, ranging from states to IGOs and MNCs. MNCs are private, for-profit organizations that have commercial operations and subsidiaries in two or more countries.