Participation of States in International Organisations - The Role of Human Rights and Democracy

The admission of a state to membership is an important decision for an international organisation. In making this determination, organisations are increasingly promoting the observance of human rights and democratic governance as relevant principles. They have also applied the same criteria in resolving the question of whether existing members should be excluded from an organisation's processes. Through a systematic examination of the records, proceedings and practice of international organisations, in this book Alison Duxbury examines the role and legitimacy of human rights and democracy as membership criteria. A diverse range of examples is discussed, including the membership policies and practice of the League of Nations and the United Nations; the admission of the Central and Eastern European states to the European Union; developments in regional organisations in Africa, Asia and the Americas; and the exclusion of members from the UN specialised agencies.

List of contents

Introduction; 1. The move to institutions in the age of rights; 2. The challenge of universality: the League of Nations and United Nations; 3. Rights, regionalism and participation in Europe; 4. Restricting the ranks: excluding states from closed organisations; 5. The relationship between powers, purposes and participation in specialised organisations; 6. Legitimacy, democracy and membership; Conclusion.

About the author

Alison Duxbury is an Associate Professor at Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne, where she teaches international law, international humanitarian law and international institutions.

Summary

In this book Alison Duxbury provides international lawyers and international relations specialists with the first examination of the role of human rights and democracy in determining membership of a broad range of universal, regional and specialised organisations at both the admission and exclusion stages.

Product details

• Authors: Alison Duxbury, Alison (University of Melbourne) Duxbury, Duxbury Alison
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 10.10.2013
• EAN: 9781107690240
• ISBN: 978-1-107-69024-0
• No. of pages: 382
• Series: Cambridge Studies in Internati; Cambridge Studies in International and Comparative Law
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Law > International law, foreign law; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Human Rights, POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / General, LAW / International, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Civil Rights, International Relations, International Law, Public International Law, International institutions, Human rights, civil rights, Public international law: human rights, International Organisations & Institutions, Treaties & Other Sources Of International Law, Public international law: treaties and other sources