INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

any institution drawing its membership from two or more sovereign states and maintaining arrangements and facilities to promote continuous activities by its members. The creation of international organizations has been essentially a 20th-century phenomenon: only a handful of the international organizations now in existence were formed before 1850; and about 90% were organized in the period 190056. In the mid-1980s there were more than 2,500 international organizations, of which about 750 were formed after World War II. This number included more than 130 intergovernmental agencies, of which the most notable were the United Nations and its affiliates, and such regional organizations as the European Economic Community, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Organization of American States, and the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. The 20th-century trend toward the creation of international organizations on a wide scale essentially stemmed from advances in the technology of communication, transportation and warfare, and from the spread of industrialization. These developments gave rise to a sense of interdependence among the peoples of the world, thereby stimulating recognition of the need for systematic international cooperation to avoid the dangers, solve the problems, and exploit the opportunities which confront the society of nations. These same developments also gave an unprecedented air of feasibility to the project of creating and operating organizations on a worldwide scale. Such institutions vary greatly in geographic scope, ranging from regional organizations to universal bodies embracing virtually the whole world. Some are concerned only with single and relatively narrow problems, while others (e.g., the United Nations) deal with a great variety of substantive matters. Finally, international organizations may be designated as either intergovernmental or nongovernmental agencies. With the rapid multiplication of international organizations in the 20th century, efforts have been made to create a pattern of orderly relationships among them. The Union of International Associations, founded in Brussels in 1907, was an early coordinating body. The League of Nations provided a focal point for intergovernmental organizations and also for the growing network of nongovernmental agencies. After World War II, the United Nations became a roof organization for the major enterprises in systematic international cooperation. In accordance with its charter, the UN entered into coordinating agreements with intergovernmental agencies operating in economic, social, cultural, educational, health, and related fields. The Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc) of the UN, in particular, maintains a consultative relationship with nearly 300 nongovernmental organizations, virtually all international in scope.