Can International Organisations Be Democratic? A Reassessment
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2019 |
Outros Autores: | |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Contexto Internacional |
Texto Completo: | http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-85292019000300481 |
Resumo: | Abstract This article makes the case for viewing international organisations (IOs) as global polyarchies. Our argument is twofold: on a theoretical level, IOs often meet the criterion of philosophical coherence, as they are based on rules of membership and decision-making that are compatible with those found in democratic institutions. On a practical level, we believe the concerns of IOs about pluralism, inclusiveness and efficacy go far beyond rhetoric, and may decisively influence their activities as well as their outcomes. To this end, the first section explores Robert Dahl’s concept of polyarchy and applies this to global institutions. In the subsequent sections, we advance our empirical argument with the UN as a case study. We reach three main conclusions. The first is that, at the bureaucratic level, the UN Secretariat performs some typically democratic functions, such as multilateral representation and the constitution of international regimes, which turns it into an important channel for feasible democracy in international politics. Second, at the multilateral level, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) represents a specific kind of representative polyarchy by allowing the greatest possible number of countries to have an equal say in global affairs. And third, it also serves as a gateway for multilevelled international representation by including a diversity of non-state actors in what has been called the ‘Third United Nations.’ |
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Can International Organisations Be Democratic? A Reassessmentinternational organizationspolyarchyUnited NationsRobert DahldemocracyAbstract This article makes the case for viewing international organisations (IOs) as global polyarchies. Our argument is twofold: on a theoretical level, IOs often meet the criterion of philosophical coherence, as they are based on rules of membership and decision-making that are compatible with those found in democratic institutions. On a practical level, we believe the concerns of IOs about pluralism, inclusiveness and efficacy go far beyond rhetoric, and may decisively influence their activities as well as their outcomes. To this end, the first section explores Robert Dahl’s concept of polyarchy and applies this to global institutions. In the subsequent sections, we advance our empirical argument with the UN as a case study. We reach three main conclusions. The first is that, at the bureaucratic level, the UN Secretariat performs some typically democratic functions, such as multilateral representation and the constitution of international regimes, which turns it into an important channel for feasible democracy in international politics. Second, at the multilateral level, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) represents a specific kind of representative polyarchy by allowing the greatest possible number of countries to have an equal say in global affairs. And third, it also serves as a gateway for multilevelled international representation by including a diversity of non-state actors in what has been called the ‘Third United Nations.’Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Relações Internacionais2019-12-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontext/htmlhttp://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-85292019000300481Contexto Internacional v.41 n.3 2019reponame:Contexto Internacionalinstname:Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RIO)instacron:PUC_RIO10.1590/s0102-8529.2019410300001info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessLopes,Dawisson BelémCasarões,Guilhermeeng2019-11-27T00:00:00Zoai:scielo:S0102-85292019000300481Revistahttp://contextointernacional.iri.puc-rio.br/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?tpl=homePUBhttps://old.scielo.br/oai/scielo-oai.phpcintjournal@puc-rio.br||contextointernacional@puc-rio.br1982-02400102-8529opendoar:2019-11-27T00:00Contexto Internacional - Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RIO)false |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Can International Organisations Be Democratic? A Reassessment |
title |
Can International Organisations Be Democratic? A Reassessment |
spellingShingle |
Can International Organisations Be Democratic? A Reassessment Lopes,Dawisson Belém international organizations polyarchy United Nations Robert Dahl democracy |
title_short |
Can International Organisations Be Democratic? A Reassessment |
title_full |
Can International Organisations Be Democratic? A Reassessment |
title_fullStr |
Can International Organisations Be Democratic? A Reassessment |
title_full_unstemmed |
Can International Organisations Be Democratic? A Reassessment |
title_sort |
Can International Organisations Be Democratic? A Reassessment |
author |
Lopes,Dawisson Belém |
author_facet |
Lopes,Dawisson Belém Casarões,Guilherme |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Casarões,Guilherme |
author2_role |
author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Lopes,Dawisson Belém Casarões,Guilherme |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
international organizations polyarchy United Nations Robert Dahl democracy |
topic |
international organizations polyarchy United Nations Robert Dahl democracy |
description |
Abstract This article makes the case for viewing international organisations (IOs) as global polyarchies. Our argument is twofold: on a theoretical level, IOs often meet the criterion of philosophical coherence, as they are based on rules of membership and decision-making that are compatible with those found in democratic institutions. On a practical level, we believe the concerns of IOs about pluralism, inclusiveness and efficacy go far beyond rhetoric, and may decisively influence their activities as well as their outcomes. To this end, the first section explores Robert Dahl’s concept of polyarchy and applies this to global institutions. In the subsequent sections, we advance our empirical argument with the UN as a case study. We reach three main conclusions. The first is that, at the bureaucratic level, the UN Secretariat performs some typically democratic functions, such as multilateral representation and the constitution of international regimes, which turns it into an important channel for feasible democracy in international politics. Second, at the multilateral level, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) represents a specific kind of representative polyarchy by allowing the greatest possible number of countries to have an equal say in global affairs. And third, it also serves as a gateway for multilevelled international representation by including a diversity of non-state actors in what has been called the ‘Third United Nations.’ |
publishDate |
2019 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2019-12-01 |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-85292019000300481 |
url |
http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-85292019000300481 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
10.1590/s0102-8529.2019410300001 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
text/html |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Relações Internacionais |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Relações Internacionais |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Contexto Internacional v.41 n.3 2019 reponame:Contexto Internacional instname:Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RIO) instacron:PUC_RIO |
instname_str |
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RIO) |
instacron_str |
PUC_RIO |
institution |
PUC_RIO |
reponame_str |
Contexto Internacional |
collection |
Contexto Internacional |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Contexto Internacional - Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RIO) |
repository.mail.fl_str_mv |
cintjournal@puc-rio.br||contextointernacional@puc-rio.br |
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1752127872753991680 |