Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description
International Organisations
Course Code
SZF_053
Branch of Science
Political science
ECTS
6.00
Target Audience
Political Science
LQF
Level 7
Study Type And Form
Full-Time
Study Course Implementer
Course Supervisor
Gunda Reire
Structure Unit Manager
Ieva Puzo
Structural Unit
Faculty of Social Sciences
Contacts
Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf@rsu.lv
About Study Course
Objective
The objective of this study course is to expand knowledge on the role of international organisations and challenges in the contemporary international environment. We will focus on how international organisations institutionalise cooperation at the international level, including their creation, internal dynamics, and their complicated relationship with states in various issues. The course will cover operations of international organisations in a variety of areas such as collective security, trade, finance, promotion of democracy and human rights, regional integration, etc. The UN, WTO, IMF, OSCE and other organisations will be covered. In the context of international organisations, we will analyse values, interests and institutional mechanisms of international actors and use this knowledge to understand deeper international cooperation and conflicts in general.
Preliminary Knowledge
General knowledge of theories and methods of international relations, as well as basic knowledge of post-World War II history.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.Students have acquired expanded knowledge and general and comparative analysis of international organizations, their role and challenges in the modern international environment.
Individual work and tests
Examination • Individual work
2.Students have acquired knowledge of the theoretical and empirical aspects of the functioning of international organizations in international politics, including their impact on the practice of international cooperation and conflict, the maintenance of international peace and security, international economic relations, etc.
Individual work and tests
Examination
3.Students are familiar with correct social science terminology.
Individual work and tests
Examination • Individual work
4.Students have acquired academic terminology and knowledge in the field of academic writing by creating an interdisciplinary paper.
Individual work and tests
Individual work • Examination
Skills
1.During the course, students’ skills to apply theoretical knowledge about international organisations analysing their practical activities will be built by based on case studies of different international organisations.
Individual work and tests
Examination • Individual work
2.The student is able to apply various theoretical approaches to directing the individual research process.
Individual work and tests
Individual work
3.The student demonstrates the ability to discuss academically, argue and discuss his/her own and other students' research reports, based on the criteria of the relevance of the chosen topic, the formulation of the research problem and goal, the theoretical basis and hypothesis/research question.
Individual work and tests
Individual work • Examination
4.The student is able to use different theoretical frameworks and social science methods in his/her work, and has developed the ability to work in an interdisciplinary way.
Individual work and tests
Examination
Competences
1.The aim of the course is to train students' competence to the level of being able to freely analyze the role of international organizations in the international system.
Individual work and tests
Examination
2.Students are able to evaluate the implementation of the systemic functions of international organizations.
Individual work and tests
Examination
3.Students are able to assess the impact of decisions made by international organizations on international relations in the short and long term.
Individual work and tests
Examination
4.The student creates the research framework of his/her report in an academically correct and appropriate manner according to the RSU guidelines, presents it and discusses it in a scientific discussion.
5.The student is able to present, participate in scientific discussions, as well as maintain a scientific discussion in an interdisciplinary perspective.
Individual work and tests
Examination • Individual work
Assessment
Individual work
|
Title
|
% from total grade
|
Grade
|
|---|---|---|
|
1.
Individual work |
20.00% from total grade
|
10 points
|
|
Presentation and report; Final essay. In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal. |
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Examination
|
Title
|
% from total grade
|
Grade
|
|---|---|---|
|
1.
Examination |
40.00% from total grade
|
10 points
|
|
Written essay |
||
|
2.
Examination |
40.00% from total grade
|
10 points
|
|
The student is required to present and submit a paper according to the topics listed below (2 to 3 presenters per topic, depending on the size of the group). Presentations of draft reports will take place in the class section of the course, drafts must be supplemented according to what was discussed during class and the revised version submitted for assessment. Technical requirements for the paper: 4 pages with line spacing 1, Times New Roman 12 or equivalent. References in footnotes, layout according to the Chicago Manual of Style. |
||
|
3.
Examination |
-
|
-
|
|
Attendance – 10%
Activity and preparedness during seminars – 30%
Presentation and paper – 40%
Final essay – 20%
|
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Study Course Theme Plan
FULL-TIME
Part 1
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
What is and what is not an international organisation? Classification and functions of international organisations
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The roots: Historical origins and development of international organisations. The League of Nations
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
We the peoples: United Nations as the centrepiece of global governance
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The Blue Helmet and P5: The role of the United Nations in maintenance of international peace and security
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The role of the Bretton Woods institutions in global economic governance. IMF and the World Bank
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Bound to fail? The rise and fall of the World Trade Organisation
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The world is on fire: Understanding NATO in the 21st century
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
OSCE: The example of transformation and high operational reputation
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Human rights, democracy and the rule of law: The Council of Europe
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Global conscience or tool of influence? International NGOs
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Progress and further perspectives.
Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Rwanda Genocide: Factors of United Nations’ failure. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
IMF, Latvia and financial crisis of 2008: Is Latvia’s successful recovery replicable? Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Settling disputes in the World Trade Organisation. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
NATO, China and transatlantic security. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
NATO, China and transatlantic security. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
OSCE response to the crisis in Ukraine. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
OSCE response to the crisis in Ukraine. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The successes and failures of the Council of Europe in protection and promotion of human rights. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Russia’s influence in regional international organisations. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Opportunities and limitations of international organisations in 21st century. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Opportunities and limitations of international organisations in 21st century. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Fundraising in international non-governmental organisations. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports. Conclusion of the Course
|
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
6.00
Contact hours:
46 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)
Bibliography
Required Reading
1.
Visa literatūra ir angļu valodā un piemērota gan latviešu, gan angļu plūsmas studentiem
2.
- Barnett M., Finnemore M. The Politics, Power, and Pathologies of International Organizations. International Organization 53(4), 1999. pp. 699-732. (akceptējams izdevums)Suitable for English stream
3.
- Ben-Ari, R. International Nongovernmental Organizations: “Global Conscience” or Powerful Political.Suitable for English stream
4.
- Casier, T. A Classic Dilemma: Russia's Threat to Withdraw from the Council of Europe. Heinrich Böll Stiftung European Union, 2018.
5.
- Copelovitch M. Master or Servant? Common Agency and the Political Economy of IMF Lending. International Studies Quarterly 54(1), 2010, pp. 49-77. (akceptējams izdevums)
6.
- Donno D. Who is Punished? Regional Intergovernmental Organizations and the Enforcement of Democratic Norms. International Organization 64(4), 2010, pp. 593-625. (akceptējams izdevums)
7.
- Hyde S. Catch Us if You Can: Election Monitoring and International Norm Diffusion. American Journal of Political Science 55(2), 2011, pp. 356-369. (akceptējams izdevums)
8.
- Kahn R., Tananbaum S. The IMF and the Next Global Crisis. Global Economics Monthly March 2016.
9.
- Karns M., Mingst K., Stiles K. International Organizations: The Politics and Processes of Global Governance. Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2024, pp. 1-40.
10.
- Kelley J. D-Minus Elections: The Politics and Norms of International Election Observation. International Organization 63(4), 2009, pp. 765-787. (akceptējams izdevums)
11.
- Komisar L. Interview with Joseph Stiglitz. 2011. Global Policy Forum (akceptējams izdevums)
12.
- NATO at 70 - The bedrock of European and transatlantic security. Speech by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Körber Global Leaders Dialogue, Berlin, 2019.
13.
- Pallas C. L., Urpelainen J. NGO monitoring and the legitimacy of international cooperation: A strategic analysis. Review of International Organizations 7(1), 2012, pp. 1âA¸S32. (akceptējams izdevums)
14.
- Pelc K. Seeking Escape: the Use of Escape Clauses in International Trade Agreements. International Studies Quarterly 53(2), 2009, pp. 349-368. (akceptējams izdevums)
15.
- Reire. G (Ed.). Latvia in the United Nations. Rīga: Zinātne, 2025.
16.
- Schroeder W. NATO at seventy: Filling NATO’s critical defense-capability gaps. Atlantic Council, 2019.
17.
- Schwab S. C. After Doha. Foreign Affairs, May/June 2011. (akceptējams izdevums)
18.
- Stone R. The Scope of IMF Conditionality. International Organization 62(4), 2008, pp. 489- 620. (akceptējams izdevums)
19.
- The United Nations System – Organizational Chart.
20.
- Tomz M., Goldstein J. L., Rivers D. Do We Really Know That the WTO Increases Trade? Comment. American Economic Review 97(5), 2007, pp.2005-2018. (akceptējams izdevums)
21.
- Werker E., Ahmed F. What Do Non-Governmental Organizations Do? 2007. (akceptējams izdevums)
Additional Reading
1.
- Wallander C. Institutional Assets and Adaptability: NATO after the Cold War. International Organization 54(4), 2000, pp. 705-735.
2.
- Rose A. Do We Really Know that the WTO Increases Trade? American Economic Review 94 (1), 2004, pp. 98-114.
3.
- Martin, L., Simmons, B. Theories and Empirical Studies of International Institutions. International Organization 52(4), 1998, pp. 729-757.
4.
- Langhorne R. New Directions of Multilateral Diplomacy. The Changing Roles of State and Nonstate Actors in Diplomatic Practice. In: Muldoon Jr. J. P., Aviel J. P., Reitano R., Sullivan E. (Eds.) Multilateral Diplomacy and the United Nations Today. Westview Press, 2005, pp. 298-308.
5.
- Wallensteen P., Johansson P. Security Council Decisions in Perspective. In: Malone D. M. (Ed.) The UN Security Council. From the Cold War to the 21st Century. Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2004, pp. 17-33.
6.
- Pevehouse J. Democracy from the Outside In? International Organizations and Democratization. International Organization 56(3), 2002, pp. 519-549.
7.
- Heiskanen V. The rationality of the use of force and the evolution of international organization. In: Coicaud J. M., Heiskanen V. (Eds.) The Legitimacy of International Organizations. The United Nations University Press, 2001, pp. 155-185.
8.
- Sirkku K. H. Multilateralism and economic justice. In: Newman E., Thakur R., Tirman J. (Eds.) Multilateralism Under Challenge? Power, International Order and Structural Change. United Nations University Press, 2006, pp.422-440.
9.
- Sullivan E. Multilateral Diplomacy in the Twenty-first Century. In: Muldoon Jr. J. P., Aviel J. P., Reitano R., Sullivan E. (Eds.) Multilateral Diplomacy and the United Nations Today. Westview Press, 2005, pp. 273-284.
10.
- Voeten E.The Political Origins of the UN Security Council’s Ability to Legitimize the Use of Force. International Organization 59(3), 2005, pp. 527-557.
11.
- Thakur R. Pacific settlement, collective security and international peacekeeping. In: Thakur R. The United Nations, Peace and Security. Cambridge University Press, 2006, pp. 27-47.
Other Information Sources
1.
- TOP 100 NGOs.
2.
- The European Convention on Human Rights.
3.
- Election Observation Handbook. OSCE/ODHIR, 2010.
4.
- Charter of the United Nations.