Oct. 14, 2022
What We Are Learning This Week with Instructor Mark Machacek !
Functions & politics of intergovernmental organizations
October 17, 2022 in POLI 283 Issues and Trends in World Politics
Mark Machacek is exploring the functions and politics of intergovernmental organizations with a focus on the United Nations and the many roles it plays in global governance.
Can you tell us a little more about this topic?
Intergovernmental organizations—such as the United Nations (UN), the African Union and the European Union—are key pieces of global politics and governance. These organizations help countries coordinate collective action around common interests such as security, economic development, humanitarian assistance and environmental protection. The UN is the most important intergovernmental organization. The UN Security Council is at the centre of our international peace and security system while the UN General Assembly brings all countries together to set the global agenda and discuss pressing concerns of the international community. However, politics and competing interests often impede the UN’s effectiveness.
What else do you cover in your course?
POLI 283 is a beginner’s introduction to the study of international relations. The course starts with the fundamental concepts and theories used to make sense of world politics. It then outlines the international system, detailing the roles of states, non-state actors and intergovernmental organizations in world politics as well as the institutions of international law and the global economy. The remainder of the course engages with prominent issues and trends in world politics including conflict and insecurity, human rights, climate change and the global Covid-19 pandemic.
What do you love about teaching this course?
We often take for granted that our international system is characterized by anarchy in the sense that there is no overarching government to facilitate collective action or enforce international peace. Yet, despite this condition of anarchy, countries have been able to maintain a considerable degree of international order and stability since World War II. What I love the most about teaching this course is the student driven ideas that this characterization of world politics produces. Students are keen to offer their own proposals regarding how to make our international order more peaceful, representative, and just.
Finally, what other courses would you recommend for students interested this topic?
Students interested in world politics can gain knowledge on the politics of developing countries with POLI 279 Politics of the Global South, POLI 371 Government and Politics of Africa and POLI 379 The Politics of Development. Interested students would also benefit from taking POLI 381 Introduction to International Relations—a prerequisite course for more senior level international relations courses such as POLI 435 Canada and World Politics, POLI 483 International Law and POLI 487 International Organizations.