The future of international organizations
Abstract
The future of international organizations SAGE Publications, Inc.1971DOI: 10.1177/053901847101000308 Alexander Szalai United Nations Institute for Training and Research, New York There is no generally accepted definition of what constitutes an international organization. The commonly used dichotomic classification of international organizations into IGO's (inter-governmental organizations) and NGO's (non-governmental organizations - with the tacit assumption that only non-governmental organizations of an international character will be included) is neither based on any general definition of the concept of international organization nor does it encompass all existing varieties of such organizations. For the purpose of consultative arrangements, as foreseen in Article 71 of the Charter of the United Nations, the Economic and Social Council resolved that "any international organization which is not established by inter-governmental agreement shall be considered as a non-governmental organi- zation". Later the Council added that certain types of quasi-IGO's, namely those which are not founded on inter-governmental agreements but "accept members designated by governmental authorities", should be classified as NGO's - "provided that such membership does not interfere with the free expression of views of the organization" (whatever this may mean and however difficult it may be to check) 1. It might seem as if the quoted resolutions