The concept of an international organization in international law
In: Oxford monographs in international law
In: Oxford scholarship online
Despite their exponential growth in number and activities, there is not an established legal concept of an international organisation. This book tackles the topic by examining the nature of the legal systems developed by international organisations. It is a comprehensive study of the concepts by which international organisations' legal systems are commonly understood: functionalism, constitutionalism, exceptionalism, and informalism. Its purpose is threefold: to trace the historical origins of the different concepts of an international organisation, to describe four groups under which these different notions can be aligned, and to propose a theory which defines international organisations as 'dual entities'.