International Organization in the Age of Globalization

Globalization has increased the need for global international organization, as more global activity has demanded greater global management. Paradoxically, this has also often strengthened the case for regional arrangements, as a way of supporting globalization. International Organization in the Age of Globalization examines how the relentless process of globalization has affected the world's international organizations. The author primarily focuses on the United Nations and the wider UN system, but he also examines the involvement of the WTO, the World Bank and regional organizations such as the EU, ASEAN, ASEM, NAFTA, and MERCOSUR in these processes. This wide ranging study concentrates on three key areas - the maintenance of peace and security, the management of economic and social activity, and the protection of individual welfare - which provide illustrations of the changing relationship between international organizations and individual states, a central interaction in global organization. Clearly and provocatively written, this book will be essential for anyone interested in processes of globalization. Students and researchers in international relations, politics, economics and sociology will benefit from the author's insights into the changing nature of international organization in the twenty-first century.