International organizations and their role in conflict resolutions

They are an important actor in the international system. International organizations can serve as a forum for states to interact in а regularized, systematic way.

But they also can take on a life of their own, having an importance that goes beyond the direct representation of their members.

(good example is the specialized agencies of the United Nations) There are many ways of looking at international organisations and their role in the international system. Those with a distinct state-centric view of the world would argue that international organisations only are as strong as states allow them to be, while others would argue that states are not the only important actors, and that international organisations indeed have an important role in international relations. Nonetheless most scholars and politicians would agree that international organisations have increasingly become important within the areas of peace and security. Today international organisations such as the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) have developed an increasing arsenal of instruments – political, military, economic and civilian – to act within these areas, and their role is only becoming bigger. Of the 43 recorded conflicts between 2000 and 2005, five were terminated with one party victorious, while 17 or 40% ended as a result of a negotiated settlement. This development, which began in the 1990s, should be seen in light of the sharp increase in international efforts and interests in confining and ending conflicts on the negotiating table rather than on the battlefield. Many of these negotiated settlements are being facilitated by international organisations

The European Union’s (EU) Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) is one of the most dynamic and high-profile policy areas of the Union. In the last decade, a common security and defence policy has developed from a distant dream to joint action. The EU has conducted over 23 military missions on three different continents and is gradually emerging as a security provider on the international scene, contributing with strategic visions and soft conflict-management instruments.International organisations are playing an increasingly important role in settling disputes. Progress in conflict management shows that more disputes than ever are being settled by negotiation and not on the battlefield. Therefore, there needs to be an increased focus on the ‘tool boxes’ of international organisations in the peace and security realm. However, at the same time the complexity of contemporary conflicts and conflict management is posing great challenges for the structures, resources and roles of most international organisations.