INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN
RELATIONS
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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS INTRODUCTION
MAJOR ACTORS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
STATES:
Ex: Belgium is a state, Andorra is a state, Italy is a state, Kazakhstan is a state
Features: (4 requirements)
- Defined territory
o Needs to be defined, you need a border
o Size doesn’t matter
- Permanent population
Needs to live on that territory
Number is not important
- Government
Exercising authority over the population living on that territory
Does not make sense which government it is. You just need one.
Can be one party (not democratic) like in China.
- Capacity to enter into relations with other states
You must be part of international community
- Recognition of states?
2 theory’s (recognition means that you start diplomatic relations with this
state)
o Constitutive theory
Recognition of that state is a requirement of statehood. If you are
not recognized as a state, you are not a state
Quite problematic bcs it’s an unilateral decision taken by every
state separate. If you start using this, an entity gets recognized
as a state but for other states that have not recognized the state,
it is not a state and that’s the problem.
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, Ex: Palestine, Israel (but P&I does not have the permanent pop-
ulation). Taiwan used to be part of China, since the communist
party in china, Taiwan has become an independent party and the
policy of the republic of china; any other state that is considering
recognizing Taiwan will not be recognized by a state in China.
Kosovo: some ppl will not recognize this as a state. We don’t
have a world entity that recognizes states, it’s an political deci-
sion, unilateral and that’s why it’s problematic.
o Declaratory theory
Just 4 requirements for statehood and recognition is not a re-
quirement for recognition as such. You are willing to start diplo-
matic relations. Nothing to do with requirements for statehood as
such.
We prefer this one bcs of the other one is quite problematic.
Examples:
o Hong Kong is not part of the UK, but has a separate status in terms of
trade, structure of government than china. Part of the people’s republic
of china but it has a separate status within the people’s republic of
china. Separate customs union It cannot become a full member of
the UN; only states can apply for membership.
o Vatican city: regarded as a state. You have a territory, you have a pop-
ulation and government and you can have relations with other states.
Member of the international organizations as well.
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
Features:
- Established by states (membership limited exclusively or primarily to states)
o States decide to cooperate
o The cooperation is on a permanent basis
o You need a kind of structure
- By means of a treaty
o You need a constitution, a doc about the functioning, power of this new
entity; international agreement between states. It’s legally binding.
o Membership is not always limited to states. Sometimes it depends for
each organization, it’s possible that other entity’s than states can be-
come full member.
- Organ with a distinct will
o In each organization you have organs.
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, o Distinct from different members from the organization: you need an or-
gan that defends and represents the interests of the org as such, and
not of a separate member state.
o International org is more than just the members of the organization.
- Established under international law
o All international rules are applicable/relevant
- International legal personality
o You have legal personality under national law, and you have legal per-
sonality under international law
o As an international org, you have rights and duties under national and
international law.
o For instance: you can sign a contract.
o Each international organization has international legal personality: you
have rights and duties under international law (privileges and immuni-
ties, the buildings of an international organization are inviolable.
o You also have obligations: when an international organization violates
an international rule, it can be held responsible and the organization
has to pay for some kind of compensation.
Examples:
- EU
- UN
- WHO
- OPEC
- OECD
- WTO
- Unicef is a bad example: it is part of the UN. Was established in the framework
of the general assembly of the UN. By means of a resolution not by means of
a treaty. It is an autonomous organ that’s part of the UN. Other example is
- Amnesty international is a bad example: not established by states but by indi-
viduals. Established not by means of a treaty but under national law. It does
not enjoy international law.
- Red cross: not established by state, not by means of a treaty, established un-
der national law (Switzerland) but enjoys international legal personality and
that’s why red cross is rather unique. It’s an NGO but has legal personality
Classification:
- Open (universal) v. closed
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, o Open: = multilateral one. you do not restrict membership in advance.
Any state can apply for membership. Wil niet zeggen dat iedereen die
applied ook member wordt. They still have to go through a precedure.
Ex: UN, WHO, WTO, Unesco, WIPO, IMF, World bank, ITU, ILO, ICAO,
IMO, FAO
o Closed: You do restrict membership in advance. You can restrict by
p.ex. location/geographical restrictions (only European states, …), re-
strict by background (economic, colonial, religious, …)
Ex: EU (regional), counsel of Europe, NAFTA, common wealth (former
British colonies), OAS, African Union, ...
- Supranational v. intergovernmental (the way you make rules)
o Supranational: the members have transferred some parts of their
sovereignty to the international organization. You have less control over
the decision making process. Ex. Canada. Biggest diff: the way that de-
cisions are made. Here can it be made in 2 ways:
Members of organization take decisions but they take decision
by some kind of majority vote. Decisions can be adapted against
the will of one of the member states. If there’s a majority
Legally binding for all the members.
Decision can be taken by an organ of an independent expert.
Can also be legally binding for all members.
Ex: EU, security counsel, heel weinig voorbeeldjes.
o Intergovernmental: No transfer of sovereignty. All members states
needs to agree.
First possibility: they have a veto power
Second possibility: it is legally binding for the states that have
voted in favor. (majority voting)
Third possibility: majority voted: not legally binding for all mem-
ber states only recommendation
Ex: Mercosur, UN is predominantly an intergovernmental organi-
zation, NAFTA, OES, ASEAN, OECD, IC, WHO (no transfer of
sovereignty)
- Political v. functional
o Political: broad goals like UN, they want to handle all policies areas. EU
is a political one.
o Functional: very narrow focus. Established with very specific focus.
o Ex: WHO, UNESCO (very strong links with the UN specialized agen-
cies of the UN). WTO Is not a specialized agency of the UN, this is an
exception; completely separate from the UN, it’s not a specialized
agency of the UN. NATO is also a functional one.
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