ABSTRACT
There are many institutional frameworks of international co-operation between the subjects of international law, from which the international conferences and organisations are reviewed in this chapter. Each of them has a unique niche in the interstate system.
Two different types of international organisations can be identified:
Intergovernmental organisations (or simply international organisations) are the organisations composed primarily of sovereign states or, in addition, of other subjects of international law as well.
International non-governmental organisations (INGOs) have the same mission as the non-governmental organisations (NGOs); however, their field of operation is not national but international. As a rule, the members of INGOs are private juridical persons or natural persons. In principle, unlike intergovernmental organisations, they are not subjects of international law.
This chapter presents certain international organisations, both global and regional. Among them, the principal place is occupied by the UN, which is a most significant global organisation addressing the main objectives of international law – war and peace. In addition, particular attention is given to the EU since it possesses a unique international status comprising the features of international organisations as well as federal-type structures.