Introduction
International organisations have become the backbone of global governance, facilitating cooperation in areas such as peace and security, trade, human rights, health, and development. For law students, understanding their structure, functioning, and limitations is essential. In this assignment, I have chosen two authoritative books on the subject: International Organizations by H.O. Agarwal (2018, Central Law Publications) and The Law of International Organizations by Nigel D. White (2016, Oxford University Press).
I selected these books because they complement each other. Agarwal’s text is widely used in Indian law schools for its clear explanations and exam-oriented approach, while White’s book provides a more theoretical and critical analysis from an international perspective. Both books cover the United Nations, specialized agencies, and regional organisations, but their methods of presentation differ. Agarwal focuses on descriptive clarity and doctrinal principles, whereas White emphasizes accountability, legitimacy, and reform debates.
The relevance of comparing these two works lies in the need to balance doctrinal knowledge with critical analysis. As future legal professionals, we must not only know how organisations function but also be able to assess their effectiveness, shortcomings, and possible reforms. By engaging with both texts, I aim to glean a deeper understanding of how international organisations contribute to global governance, how they sometimes fail, and what legal debates shape their role in the 21st century.
Summary of the Books
International Organizations
by H.O. Agarwal (2018)
Agarwal begins by defining international organisations and distinguishing them from other actors such as states and NGOs. He traces their historical development, beginning with the League of Nations and later the United Nations system.
The book is structured around three broad parts:
- General Principles: covering legal personality, membership, privileges, and immunities of international organisations.
- The United Nations System: including detailed chapters on the General Assembly, Security Council, ICJ, ECOSOC, and peacekeeping operations. Agarwal provides examples of both successes (Namibia, Cambodia) and failures (Rwanda, Bosnia).
- Specialized and Regional Organisations: including the ILO, UNESCO, WHO, WTO, EU, AU, and OAS.
The book ends with contemporary issues such as accountability, reform of the UN, and the balance between sovereignty and collective security. It is descriptive, practical, and exam-friendly, with case law references and treaty provisions.
The Law of International Organizations
: by Nigel D. White (2016)
White’s book adopts a more analytical approach. He begins with the creation of international organisations and the legal powers they derive from treaties. He distinguishes between explicit powers and implied powers, emphasizing debates about whether organisations can expand their mandates.
White devotes significant attention to decision-making, accountability, and legitimacy. He critiques the UN Security Council’s veto power as undemocratic and explores the problem of holding organisations responsible for wrongful acts (e.g., abuses in peacekeeping missions).
The book also addresses collective security, peacekeeping, trade, labour, and human rights institutions. Unlike Agarwal, White emphasizes theoretical debates such as legitimacy, democratic deficit, and accountability mechanisms.
In its concluding sections, the book highlights reform debates and the role of international organisations in the future, stressing that they are not neutral but reflect the power dynamics of their member states.
Critical Analysis
Both Agarwal and White provide valuable insights, but their strengths and weaknesses differ.
Strengths of Agarwal’s Book:
- Clarity and accessibility: The language is simple, making it ideal for BA LLB students.
- Comprehensive coverage: It includes universal, specialized, and regional organisations in one volume.
- Legal precision: It explains treaty-based powers, immunities, and case laws systematically.
Weaknesses of Agarwal’s Book:
- Descriptive, with limited critical engagement.
- Lacks analysis of contemporary developments post-2018, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or Russia-Ukraine war.
- Offers fewer theoretical debates on legitimacy or democratic accountability.
Strengths of White’s Book:
- Analytical depth: Engages with debates on accountability, legitimacy, and reform.
- Balanced between theory and practice: Includes case studies like UN failures in Rwanda and trade disputes in the WTO.
- Forward-looking: Questions the effectiveness and legitimacy of organisations.
Weaknesses of White’s Book:
- Slightly complex for beginners; assumes prior knowledge.
- Focused mainly on Western perspectives, with less emphasis on Global South institutions.
- Published in 2016, so it does not cover COVID-19 or newer debates on AI in governance.
Contributions of Both:
Together, these books provide a holistic picture. Agarwal equips students with doctrinal and exam-oriented knowledge, while White develops critical thinking about accountability and reform. Their combined contribution lies in bridging descriptive clarity with analytical rigor, making them complementary texts for international law students.
Application to Legal Debates and Current Issue
The insights from both books can be applied to contemporary debates:
- UN Security Council Reform
- Agarwal describes the structure and role of the Security Council.
- White critiques its veto system as undemocratic.
- Application: The Russia-Ukraine conflict (2022–ongoing) shows the limitations of collective security when veto powers block action.
- Accountability of International Organisations
- Agarwal explains privileges and immunities.
- White questions whether organisations should retain absolute immunity.
- Application: The Haiti cholera outbreak (2010) linked to UN peacekeepers shows the gap between law and justice. Victims could not sue due to immunity.
- Specialized Agencies and Global Crises
- Agarwal describes WHO, WTO, and ILO.
- White critiques their effectiveness and legitimacy.
- Application: WHO’s role during COVID-19 and WTO’s weakened dispute settlement system highlight the need for reform
- Regionalism
Agarwal provides detailed coverage of EU, AU, and OAS.- White sees regional organisations as supplements to universal bodies.
- Application: The African Union’s peacekeeping efforts in Somalia and EU’s handling of Brexit reflect regional challenges Agarwal outlined.
By applying the books’ arguments, students can better understand current debates and suggest reforms, such as limiting immunity, reforming the veto, or strengthening specialized agencies.
Conclusion and Personal Reflection
Reading both Agarwal’s International Organizations and White’s The Law of International Organizations has given me a comprehensive and critical understanding of how international organisations operate. Agarwal’s book provided me with the doctrinal foundation, explaining treaties, structures, and case laws in a clear manner. White’s text, in contrast, challenged me to think critically about legitimacy, accountability, and reform.
From these books, I learned that international organisations are indispensable for global governance but are not perfect. They often reflect the political interests of powerful states and are constrained by sovereignty and lack of enforcement mechanisms. The books also made me realize the importance of reform—whether in terms of Security Council veto, accountability for wrongful acts, or improving effectiveness of specialized agencies like WHO and WTO.
On a personal level, these readings reinforced my interest in working with international law and organisations. They also taught me that legal analysis must go beyond description: we must ask who holds organisations accountable, whether they are legitimate, and how they can be reformed.
Together, the two books have deepened my academic knowledge and critical thinking skills, preparing me not only for examinations but also for real-world debates about the future of international governance.
References :
- Agarwal, H.O. (2018). International Organizations. Central Law Publications, Allahabad.
- White, N.D. (2016). The Law of International Organizations (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
- United Nations Charter, 1945.
- WTO Dispute Settlement Reports.
- ICJ, Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v. United States of America), ICJ Reports (1986)
