The use of Intergovernmental organisations (IGOs)to
maintain power.
Objectives:
1. How much of an influence do superpowers have in
international decision making?
2. What part do intergovernmental organisations play in
the mechanisms of maintaining power?
3. Do Intergovernmental organisations create a ‘glass
ceiling’ for emerging powers?
The Key Intergovernmental organisations
Starter: Use your knowledge from AS to match the correct symbol and
description to each organisation name
1. North Atlantic
Treaty
organisation
2. G8
3. United Nations
4. World Trade
Organisation
5. International
monetary fund
6. Organisation for
economic cooperation and
development
Monitors economic and financial
development, lending money to
countries in financial difficulties
The 8 of the 10 largest global
economies try to improve food and
energy security
Forecasts, analyses and researches
into development
A military alliance between the US
and EU countries
Promotes free trade by settling trade
disputes and creating trade policies
and agreements.
An international Peacekeeper
Ext: Could you
divide these
organisations
into
categories?
What would
the categories
be?
 Objective 1. How much of an influence do superpowers
have in international decision making?
IMF
(over 5% of votes)
NATO
G8
Richest 8 nations
UN Security
Council
G20
Richest 20 nations
Membership of Inter-governmental organisations
WTO member
Task 1: a] Who are the key players in intergovernmental
decision making?
b] Members are not equal in some of these IGOs. What are
the likely reasons for this? Participant=
USA
17%
UK
5%
EU
30%
China
Russia
India
Brazil
Japan
6%
The key features of Intergovernmental Organisations
 Make key decisions about
 World economy
 Conflicts
 Environmental issues/ resources
 Small number of dominant key players such as USA, EU






encouraging focus on their interests
Often created by superpowers post war as a way to promote
cooperation and reduce conflict
Big overlap in membership of IGOs
Often have a veto
Lot of mutual support – has effect of a block vote
USA and EU work together to promote or block policies
they favour- bilateral action
Critics say created ‘by superpowers for superpowers’
 Objective 2. What part do IGOs play in the
mechanisms of maintaining power?
Iraq, oil and the UN: The 1st Gulf War
Task 2: Read the article and use
the information to analyse the
strengths and weaknesses of
countries acting as part of the UN
instead of alone.
Ext: Whose power has been
maintained in this example?
China and the UN
Task 3 Watch the Film
a) Summarise the role
China is alleged to have
played in Sudan
b) How strong an Influence
has China’s veto of the
UN embargo on Sudan
been?
c) Whose power is
threatened? Whose is
maintained in this?
Objective 3. Do Intergovernmental organisations
create a ‘glass ceiling’ for emerging powers?
Task 4: Look back at the starter table and decide where
on this graph each IGO goes.
BRICs
Discuss: Who is exempt
from much decision
making ?
Members
MEDCs
Ext: Will it harm the
power development of
excluded countries?
NICs
LEDCs
Local
National
Beneficiaries
International
Global
Plenary: In whose interests?
The IMF pressurised the Nigerian government to
privatise public assets that were bought up by MNCs and
promote free trade.
2. The UN set up the Kyoto protocol to begin global action
on the causes of global warming. Carbon caps were high
for MEDCs but more lenient for LEDCs/NICs.
3. The USA wanted to invade Iraq in 2003 because of the
possibility of Weapons of mass destruction being
harboured there as well as Osama Bin Laden. UN security
council refused to back the invasion. The USA and UK
invaded Iraq. The G8, UN and NATO all participated in
the restoration of the Iraqi economy and other
peacekeeping activities after the invasion.
1.
Objectives:
1. How much of an influence do superpowers have in
international decision making?
2. What part do intergovernmental organisations play in
the mechanisms of maintaining power?
3. Do Intergovernmental organisations create a ‘glass
ceiling’ for emerging powers?
Homework:
Evaluate the need for superpowers to play a key role in
international decision making to maintain their status.