| <Home | Simulations> |
What should I know about International Organizations?
International Organizations are founded for a variety of purposes, many of them idealistic. Some, like the UN hope to bring peace and prosperity to the world, and others like Nato are designed to ensure the safety and protection of its members. This diversity of goals means that they also have very different structures and procedures. International Organizations also involve different members of the world community. It is important to note that simulations, like the organizations on which they are based, will help your students gain insight into different kinds of issues and familiarize them with different geographic regions and rather different procedures - some organizations make unanimous decisons on everything and others give overwhelming power to a select few members. In order to give you a good idea of some of the organizations you can begin simulating with and to help you choose, we have collected a list of the four most commonly modeled intergovernmental organizations (IGOs).
The United Nations (UN) 
The United Nations is an Intergovernmental organization created to facilitate governmental cooperation in international security, international law, economic development, social progress and human rights. Composed of over 192 member nations, the UN is the largest organization among our selected four. The Organization is subdivided into several administrative bodies. However, in terms of impact on world affairs, these are the most important:
- The General Assembly - The main deliberative organ composed of all 192 member nations.
- The Security Council - A small council that rotates in membership that makes decisions on matters of peace and security.
- The Economic and Social Council - A council that assists in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development,
The European Union (EU) 
The European Union was established in 1993 by the Treaty of Maastricht as a political and economic union of european nations. Now composed of twenty-seven member states, it has formed into a single market, with a standardised system of laws and a common trade policy. Similar to the UN, the European Union is run through multiple bodies, among them the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament. The Council is the main decision making institution in the EU. It always has 27 national ministers present, however the exact composition of ministers is subject to change, as certain topics such as agriculture require their respective ministers. The European Parliament is composed of delegates from all member nations, and is in charge of matters like the budget and laws. The Aprliament also has a great deal of indirect power, in issuing non-binding resolutions and holding committee hearings.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 
NATO is an alliance of 26 countries from both North America and Europe Committed to fulfilling the goals of the North Atlantic Treaty signed on April 4th 1949. The fundamental role of the organization is to safeguard the freedom and security of its member nations thorugh political and military means. The members of this military alliance have pledged mutual assistance in case of threat and have been active in ending bloody conflicts across the globe. Today, NATO-led forces are helping to bring stability to areas like Kosovo and Afghanistan. NATO's most important decision making body is the North Atlantic Council which brings together representatives of the 26 Allies at the level of ambassadors, Ministers and Government.
The League of Arab States 
The Arab League is a regional organization of twenty-two Arab states in Southwest Asia and North and Northeast Africa. Its main focus are political, economic, cultural, and social programs designed to promote the interests of member states. It mainly serves as a forum for member states to coordinate their policy positions and deliberate on matters of common concern. For example, It has played an important role in shaping school curricula, and preserving manuscripts and Arab cultural heritage. The principal body of the organization is the Council of the Arab League, where each member has one vote on all matters. However, decisions are binding only for those states that have voted for them.
