International organization

General Definition

An international organization is, by definition, any organization with international membership, scope, or presence. In common usage, the term is usually reserved for intergovernmental organizations such as the U.N., the Council of Europe, or the World Trade Organization, whose members are sovereign States or other IGOs.

Recent distinction within the International Organization group

While many non-governmental organizations (NGOs), a generalising term used for privately created organizations with international scope, certainly have international presence and aims, it is in the sense of IGOs that the term "international organization" is more properly used. NGOs tend to relate more to global issues on individual levels rather than state problems on systemic levels.

Hence, international organization has become a less specific term. Official and technical documents or lists now favor intergovernmental organization (IGO) and non-governmental organization (NGO) to ensure clarity.

The Penguin Dictionary of International Relations confirms that "Modern international organizations are of two basic types, the 'public' variety known as intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and the 'private' variety, the international non-governmental organization (INGOs)."

External links

http://untreaty.un.org/English/Seminar/Laos_03/intorganizations.ppt
http://www.aallnet.org/sis/fcilsis/Syllabi/kuehl/Introduction%20to%20Intergovernmental%20Organizations%20and%20Non-Governmental.ppt Template:Link FA