The birth of Intergovernmental institutions
The Congress of Vienna had proclaimed the principle of freedom of navigation which led to the appearance of many river commissions. A good example of these was the Rhine Commission which was invested with considerable powers, including both legislative and political powers. There were commissions for other rivers, such as the Danube, Elbe and Po. Numerous other administrative unions in many fields appeared pursuant to needs as they arose. The Universal Telegraphic Union was established in 1865 with an administration as its central organ. The Universal Postal Union was established in 1874. There were other unions which sprang up such as the International Union of Railway Freight Transportation (1890),the International Bureau of Industrial Property (1883), the International Bureau of Literary Property (1886) and the International Of?ce of Public Health (1907).
Such unions generally had periodical conferences or meetings of the representatives of member states, decisions being taken usually by unanimous vote, and a permanent secretariat (bureau) which performed the administrative tasks. One of the principal contributions of the unions to the concept of the international organization was the institutional element which was secured through a standing organ, the bureau, and provided the stepping stone from the technique of the conference to that of the organization. In some cases, there were permanent deliberative or legislative organs as well (e.g., the UPU and the International
Telegraphic Union). The trend towards the permanence of association was very marked. There were departures from the unanimity rule which were an important phenomenon, particularly when linked with legislative powers, as in the case of the Rhine Commission. The distinction made between the convention, embodying general rules, and the règlements, which implemented those rules in a detailed manner, was important, particularly because the règlements could be amended by a much simpler process.
Weighted voting and apportioning budgetary contributions enabled the solution of some of the most difficult problems to which an underlying principle of equality of states could not find appropriate answers. Moreover, interests other than those of states came to be represented, whether of dependent territories, private corporations or associations, and whether coupled with the right to vote or not, with the result that recognition was given to realities in a pragmatic way as never before and such recognition paved the way for future developments. Such features, further, promoted in states the awareness ‘of the potentialities of international organizations as a means of furthering an interest common to numerous states without detriment to that of any concerned’.It was in 1919 after the Treaty of Versailles, when the League of Nations was created, that an attempt was made to create a political organization of an open and universal character. Since then the public intergovernmental or inter state organization has become firmly established in international relations, a development which culminated in the establishment of the United Nations and its specialized agencies. The nineteenth century has been described as ‘the era of preparation for international organization’, this chronological period being between 1815and 1914, while the years which have passed since the momentous events of 1914 must in a sense be regarded as ‘the era of establishment of international organization, which, in these terms comes to be regarded as a phenomenon of the twentieth century’.The institutionalization today of inter state relations has led to international organizations influencing far more than in the past the shaping of international relations and the development of the international law intended for their regulation.They have clearly had a signi?cant impact on the lives of people in individual countries, while positively influencing relations between nations and creating an effective and friendly modality for the conduct of international intercourse.
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