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42 J. Conflict Resol. 3 (1998)
Why States Act through Formal International Organizations

handle is hein.journals/jcfltr42 and id is 1 raw text is: Why States Act through Formal International Organizations KENNETH W. ABBOTI' Graduate and International Studies Northwestern University School of Law DUNCAN SNIDAL Department of Political Science University of Chicago States use formal international organizations (lOs) to manage both their everyday interactions and more dramatic episodes, including international conflicts. Yet, contemporary international theory does not explain the existence or form of IOs. This article addresses the question of why states use formal organizations by investigating the functions IOs perform and the properties that enable them to perform those functions. Starting with a rational-institutionalist perspective that sees IOs as enabling states to achieve their ends, the authors examine power and distributive questions and the role of IOs in creating norms and understanding. Centralization and independence are identified as the key properties of formal organizations, and their importance is illustrated with a wide array of examples. lOs as community representatives further allow states to create and implement community values and enforce international commitments. * When the United States decided to reverse the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, it did not act unilaterally (although it often does). It turned to the United Nations (UN) Security Council. * When the Security Council sought to learn the extent of chemical, biological, and nuclear arms in Iraq, it did not rely on U.S. forces. It dispatched inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). * When the international community sought to maintain the suspension of combat in Bosnia, it did not rely only on national efforts. It sent in peacekeeping units under the aegis of the UN and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). * When states liberalized trade in services and strengthened intellectual property protection in the Uruguay Round, they were not content to draft rules. They created the World Trade Organization (WTO) and a highly institutionalized dispute settlement mechanism. Formal international organizations (IOs) are prominent (if not always successful) participants in many critical episodes in international politics. Examples in addition AUTHORS' NOTE: We are grateful for valuable comments from Lea Brilmayer, Judith Goldstein, Charles Lipson, Andrew Moravcsik, James Morrow, Anne-Marie Slaughter, and seminar participants at the University of California at Berkeley, Harvard University Law School, New York University Law School, Princeton University, and the Program on International Politics, Economics and Security (PIPES) at the University of Chicago. For financial support, Abbott thanks the Russell Baker Fund, the Charles C. Linthicum Fund, and the Northwestern Summer Research Grant program. JOURNAL OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION, Vol. 42 No. 1, February 1998 3-32 0 1998 Sage Publications, Inc. 3 from the SAGE Social Science Collections. All Rights Reserved.

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