This course offers a critical examination of international organizations and their role in shaping global governance. Moving beyond formal descriptions of institutional mandates, the course investigates the political dynamics that determine whether international organizations act effectively, whose interests they serve, and why they often fall short of their stated objectives. The course begins by equipping students with a core set of analytical tools, introducing competing theoretical perspectives from realism and liberalism to constructivism. These foundational questions frame the evaluation of specific organizations throughout the semester.
From there, the course analyzes the United Nations, addressing the General Assembly, the Security Council, peacekeeping operations, and human rights mechanisms. The course considers broader questions of state sovereignty, the enforcement of international law, and the changing landscape of global governance as major powers and emerging powers assert themselves on the international stage. Throughout, the goal is to both familiarize students with international organizations and equip them with the analytical tools to critically evaluate institutional performance.
The second half of the course turns to the Bretton Woods institutions, examining how the IMF and the World Bank have shaped global economic governance and responding to the demands of borrowers and the interests of major shareholders. The tension between their formal mandates and their operational practices, particularly in contexts of crisis and adjustment, is a central theme. The course then moves to regional organizations, including the European Union, the League of Arab States, and the African Union, exploring how regional integration projects have interacted with nationalism and competing visions of regional order.
- Teacher: Abdulla Al-Kalisy