Intergovernmental Organisations
- Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) are composed of two or more sovereign states and built by treaty, agreement, or a formal intergovernmental decision-making process involving the member states.
- The goal of IGOs is to facilitate cooperation and coordination between member states or organisations in areas of mutual interest or concern, such as political, economic, social, or environmental issues.
- IGOs can establish rules, norms, and standards that member states can adopt to regulate their behaviour and promote cooperation. An example of this can be global health standards set by the World Health Organization as well as guidelines that help member states to improve quality of living and health outcomes among their citizens.
- Facilitating negotiations between member states to develop treaties and agreements in the best interests of both member states and to address global challenges is also a goal of IGOs. For example, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change facilitates negotiations among member states to develop international agreements to address climate change.
- Examples of IGOs include:
- United Nations (UN)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- World Bank Group
- World Trade Organization (WTO)
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- International Labour Organization (ILO)
- International Criminal Court (ICC)
- International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- European Union (EU)
- Council of Europe
- Organization of American States (OAS)
- African Union (AU)
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
- International Organization for Migration (IOM)
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
Extract from Legal Studies Stage 6 Syllabus. © 2009 Board of Studies NSW.