A Critical Assessment of the Relevance of International Organizations in the Contemporary World Order

Abstract

The myriad of challenges such as diseases, climate change, wars, terrorism, hunger and starvation, pollution, environmental degradation, etc, confronting the global community today deserve nothing than a concerted effort via international organizations to address on a permanent basis. This is incontrovertibly true because international organizations provide some veritable platforms through which nation states as well as individuals desirous of finding solutions to their common challenges can meet and have these issues resolved. This paper, therefore, intends to discuss the essence of international organizations in the contemporary society. The motive is not just to showcase the crucial roles of international organizations but to also draw the attention of the public to the salient opportunities hidden in these institutions. The data for the piece are based on the secondary source which includes textbooks, journal articles and other online materials. Liberal institutionalism has been adopted as a theoretical backup. The findings suggest that the essence of international organizations lies in their functions which are usually for the benefits of member countries. These are seen in the various activities of organizations such as the International Trade Centre and the World Trade which assist member countries in promoting fair trade with each other; the Natural Capitalism and International Research Centre help to enhance sustainable economic development in the world; the World Bank and the Institute for International Finance provide monetary assistance to the countries as the Food and Agricultural Organizations  and the World Food Programme help member countries in the areas food security .They also help in maintaining peace and security, environmental protection among others.  To ensure that international organizations remain relevance in the 21st Century, concrete efforts are needed by states and non-states actors to strengthening their capacities and members must be totally committed to the vision and mission of international organization they belong.