TAREQ HARMASH

ID:40219158

POL 110

liberalism

International institution plays a large role in the field of international relations, the liberals use

these institutions to promote corporations between states. In the contemporary politics liberal uses

international institution as their advocates to achieve their goals which includes promotion of

human rights, working together between the states, peace keeping, peacemaking and promotion of

peace in the world. This paper seeks to explore why are these international institutions so important

for liberals. The roles and functions of international institutions will be clearly explored to answer

the questions.

According to Russett (2013: 106) international institutions are key role players in promoting

democracy. They curb and manage tensions between the member states. Russet (2013:106) thinks

that democracy is more sustainable in a peaceful atmosphere therefore the international institutions

having the responsibility to promote peace in the member states are indirectly playing large role

in sustaining democracy and attracting other states to form part of their operations. The

international institutions act as advocates in the international relations to promote free trade

between states, liberals believes that these institutions play a major role in tackling conflicts of

interests between states. Prmoting of democracy is seen as one of the importance of international

institutions to the liberals. An example of the UN as the mother body to many international

organizations was given having noticed the roles it plays in promoting peace throughout the world

to maintain and promote democracy and promotion of human rights. Other reginal organization

like the European union are believed to be of importance in resolving conflict, peace promotion to
sustain democracy. The international institutions have the authority to pose sanctions to states that

do not cooperate or poses danger to democracy which makes them so special to the liberals

(Russett, 2013: 106).

Martin and Simmon (2001: 1-3) believes that international institutions are part of states actors

because they play an important role in the process of making laws or rules that sets standards on

how the states must behave. Disseminating information of how states must behave is one the

important roles singled out by martin. For example, the European court of just act as an interpreter

of the European laws this is to ensure that all laws passed in the EU are meeting the standard.

Martha in Martin and Simmon (2001:6) confirms that it is not easy to talk about the international

institutions without international organizations because the IOs are agents of IIs that contain

certain rules to regulate behavior of states, she believes that the international institutions coordinate

acceptable behavior to the states. They promote international standards or norm.

Democracy is seen and the liberal order that emerged in the America, but according to Ikenbeny,

(1999: 124) this order was sustained through the effects of institutions which is keeping America

as a superpower till to date. Economic and security institutions play a crucial role in keeping and

attracting other states to remain while others are also joining. The international institutions are of

important to the liberals because they set standard and maintain world order. Incorporation of

institutions in the politics and society in America is what makes its liberal hegemony order stand

still though out. To the liberals’ international institutions have always been so important in

facilitating healthy relationship between states (Ikenbeny, 1999: 125). America formed

international institution to ensure that political tensions curbed (Ikenbeny, 1999: 125).

International institutions create a platform to resolve conflicts, they play a large role in facilitating

cooperation between states, with the power vested in these institutions they act as advoates to
negotiate agreements between states (Oye, 1986: 20). For example, during world war, so many

negotiations took place as a way of resolving tensions and as a result these institutions played a

large role in ensuring that the peace is made with America having formed some institution that

allowed it to maintain its liberal hegemony order.

Keohane, and Nye (1977: 10-12) Agree with other liberalists that the international institutions are

important to the liberal on the sense that they perform important role in the states for example the

supreme court play roles in the process of making laws or policies together with the national

parliament. In my view the liberals are so important to the liberals because they act as catalysts,

the main reason these institutions are so important is because they promote democracy in many

ways. After reading prescribed readings I have learnt that it is not possible to talk about the

international institution and do not talk of international organizations such WHO, UN, NATO, and

so on., the reason being that these international organizations act as agents whiles the UN act as

the umbrella to many organizations.

The former president of the US Wilson quoted in Dunne (2004:117), argue that in order to maintain

or to safeguard peace, the international institution or organizations are of important as they have

ability to maintain peace, this tells us that these institutions are so important to the liberals because

they are believed have power vested in them or ability to facilitate peace in the world. For example,

in a situation where states are in conflicts these institution acts as advocates. In the case of Kuwait

invasion, the UN was used to resolve the conflicts through their methods of interventions which is

clear that these institutions to the liberals are important because they promote human rights, peace

keeping, and promote democracy.

The international institutions continue to be important actors in promoting democracy in the world.

Many authors believes that these institutions play an important role in ensuring that states

cooperate with each other, resolves conflicts, advocates for free trade, promote human rights.

These institutions hold power to pose sanctions to states that do not cooperate. Their main roles

according to the liberals is to ensure that democracy is respected which include allowing people to

enjoy their individual rights and state sovereignty. It is also clear that the superpower countries

continue to use these institutions to maintain their political order for example, an American liberal

hegemony which perpetuate to dominate the world is because of these institutions and their rules.

References

Dunne, T. (2004), ‘Liberalism’, in J. Baylis and S. Smith (eds), The Globalization of World

Politics, 3rd edn (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

Ikenberry, G. J. (1999). American postwar order. International order and the future of world

politics, 123.

Keohane, R. O. and Nye, J. S. (1977), Power and Interdependence (New York, NY: Longman)

Martin, L. and Simmons, B. (2001) (eds), International Institutions: An International -

Organization Reader (Boston, MA: MIT Press).

Oye, K. (1986) (ed.), Cooperation Under Anarchy (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press).

Russett, B. (2013) “Liberalism”, in Dunne, T., Kurki, M., & Smith, S. (Eds.). (2013).

International relations theories. Oxford University Press