The United Nations (UN) is an international organization (IO) that plays an important role in intervening in areas of tension and conflict. However, it is not the only international organization that works in this field and plays a vital role.
An international organization (IO) is an organization that brings together representatives of different states to achieve common goals on global issues.
International alliances often take the form of IOs such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Arab League, the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). These organizations are often involved in interventions in areas of tension and conflict. This involvement can take different forms, the main ones being:
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Providing financial resources |
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Providing military resources such as weapons and soldiers |
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Observing, assessing and reporting on the situation on the ground |
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Organizing diplomatic interventions that facilitate negotiations and mediation between conflicting parties |
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Putting economic pressure on governments to end a conflict |
International alliances in the form of international organizations sometimes have different aims, which are not always military: they can be political alliances or economic alliances. However, NATO, for example, is an IO that is a strictly military alliance. To discourage other countries from attacking a NATO member country, it is stipulated in the NATO agreement that all member countries must retaliate if one of its members is attacked.
IOs, such as the Arab League or the African Union, are also important in managing tensions and conflicts, as they are closer to the problems and have better knowledge of the parties they represent. This means that interventions can be better suited to the state(s) involved in the conflict.
To manage tension and conflicts, international alliances can also take the form of conventions, treaties and agreements that attempt to mitigate or resolve conflicts. Following negotiations, countries or groups establish conditions that, if respected, put an end to the conflict or reduce tensions between the parties involved.
Ladouceur, Maude and collabs. Globe, 2014.