教學大綱 Syllabus

課程簡介Course Description

International organisations (IOs) have been created over the past century to advance cooperation among states to find common solutions to international and transnational challenges. IOs are tools of international politics and international relations, while often serve as fora for establishing and realising international norms and principles. Some of the key international challenges tackled by IOs include armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, infectious diseases, climate change, trade rules and global inequality. IOs vary greatly in terms of their mission, functions, membership, structure, powers and geographical scope. The role of IOs in international politics remains controversial: while some perceive them as enablers to achieving global solutions beyond the capacity of individual states, others question their effectiveness and legitimacy given their tendency to be dominated by the most powerful states. States and citizens alike are often disappointed by the gap between IOs’ lofty aspirations and their actual performance in addressing global problems.

The course will start by introducing the central analytical approaches that help students understand key aspects of international organisations: their creation and design, their decision-making processes, their impact and policy effectiveness, and their interactions with other international organisations. This analytical framework is then applied to analysis of the functions of the IOs in specific global challenges and policy domains, including peace, security, human rights, trade, crisis response, health and environment. Finally, the course will examine the responsibility and accountability of IOs, discuss Taiwan’s limited participation in these international fora and how it could be strengthened.