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International Relations & Diplomacy vocabulary · International Organisations

International organisation

Meaning in international relations & diplomacy, with examples

nounCore term

In international relations & diplomacy, international organisation means: A body set up by agreement between states, with its own members, rules and permanent staff, to deal with shared problems such as security, trade, health or development.

In Turkish: uluslararası örgüt, uluslararası kuruluş

How it is used

In IR writing it usually means an intergovernmental organisation (IGO) whose members are states, such as the UN, the WTO or NATO; groups set up by private citizens are NGOs. People 'join', 'set up' or 'work for' an international organisation.

Example sentences

  1. After graduating, she wants to work for an international organisation in Geneva or Vienna.

  2. Small states often rely on international organisations to make their voices heard.

  3. The international organisation has 40 member states and a secretariat of 300 staff.

Common collocations

  • join an international organisation
  • intergovernmental organisation
  • regional organisation
  • work for an international organisation
  • United NationsThe global organisation set up in 1945 to keep international peace and security, build friendly relations between nations and encourage cooperation; almost every state is a member.
  • NGOShort for non-governmental organisation: a non-profit group that is independent of governments and works on issues such as human rights, aid, development or the environment.
  • member stateA country that belongs to an international organisation such as the UN or the EU, with the rights and duties that membership brings.
  • NATOThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance of North American and European states founded in 1949, whose members commit to defending each other.
  • European UnionA political and economic union of European states that share common institutions, a single market and many common policies; its members pool part of their sovereignty.

More terms: International Organisations

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