1 May 2019 | Draft
What Kind of Organizations are Included
Criteria specified in the Yearbook of International Organizations 1968-1969
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Commentary on the "Seven Rules"
A recent study has focused critically on the criteria for inclusion of international organizations in the Yearbook of International Organizations (Daniel Laqua, Wouter Van Acker and Christophe Verbruggen, Eds., International Organizations and Global Civil Society: histories of the Union of International Associations, Bloomsbury, 2019). This study has itself been critically reviewed (Historical Misrepresentation of a "Union of International Associations"?: Scholastic "demeaning" of global civil society in a period of widespread crisis, 2019).
With respect to the Challenged UIA data collection methodology of that study, the review notes:
"Genuinely international organizations"? Contributors have also focused misleadingly on the potential bias in the efforts of editors to distinguish bodies to be understood as having the quality of being "genuinely international". Reference is made to "seven rules" on which other scholars are alleged to have commented critically:
These criteria were only made explicit in the 1968-9 edition: seven major characteristics decided whether non-governmental organizations were 'genuinely international' and could be included in the Yearbook. (p. 190)
It is curious that the study should focus on this reference dating from 1968, possibly written by this reviewer (What Kind of Organizations Are Included, Yearbook of International Organizations 1968- 1969, p. 11-12), when the types of organization included were constantly under review, and extended in response to recognition of entities which were of potential interest as "international organization" in some way. That checklist, discussed below, indeed predates the extensive commentary on the further challenges detected (Types of International Organization: classification categories, 1978; Types of International Organization: detailed overview, 1978).
As indeed noted by the study (p. 190), this extension was organized such as to maintain the coherence of the types having the greater claim to be called international, whilst adding other types which lent themselves to challenge in this respect -- notably by politically sensitive intergovernmental organizations and scholars of international relations.
Given the relative inaccessibility of the text from Yearbook of International Organizations (1968-1969, pp. 11-12), it has been reproduced below for purposes of clarification. The critical review also reproduces the set of Types as subsequently used, of which a version appears in the study itself. The review adds further:
Types of organization vs "Seven rules" of inclusion: Given the importance seemingly attached by scholars to "seven rules" articulated in 1968-1969, in contrast to the set of Types articulated in 1978, clarification is appropriate. Firstly it should be noted that the label "seven rules" does not feature in the document. With respect to the seven items there, in each case their "exclusion" (as indicated), relates primarily to exclusion from Types A through D. Bodies which did not correspond to those criteria would typically have been considered for Types F through U.
Scholars have naturally been free to treat organizations of Types A through D as "genuinely international" (in the light of the "seven rules"), or to consider for inclusion in their research those bodies allocated to Types E through U -- however it is preferred to relax the criteria for inclusion in Types A through D. The set of Types was designed to be inclusive but to distinguish bodies which might be considered "less international" for some reason.
Where reference is made to "exclusion" in the original text, this therefore refers to exclusion from Type A through D. The bodies excluded in this way could well be "included" in Types E through U and would be reflected in the statistics by Type maintained over the years. Scholars would naturally be free to establish totals of "international organization" to include or exclude certain Types.
Reproduction of original text from 1968-1969
Governmental
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations view of inter-governmental organizations is implicit
in its Resolution 288 (X) of 27 February 1950 : "Any international organization which is not established by intergovernmental
agreement shall be considered as a non-governmental organization for the purpose of these arrangements". The resolution was concerned with the implementation of Article 71 of the United Nations Charter on
consultative status of non-governmental organizations, and it was amplified by Resolution 1296 (XLIV) of 25 June
1968 : "... including organizations which accept members designated by governmental authorities, provided that
such membership does not interfere with the free expression of views of the organization".
Identifying eligible governmental organizations therefore presents no problem. All organizations established
by agreements to which three States or more are parties have been included. Following the adoption of Resolution
334 (XI) of 20 July 1950 (see p. 11) it was agreed with the UN Secretariat in New York that bodies arising out of
bilateral agreements should not be included in the Yearbook.
Non-governmental
The problem of identifying eligible non-governmental organizations is much trickier. Resolution 288 (X) makes no attempt to explain what is meant by the term "international organization". We have therefore taken seven aspects of organization al life, and have tried to Indicate in all cases what we feel to be appropriate criteria for eligibility. The analysis has been greatly facilitated by ready access to the Union of International Associations' unique collection of Constitutions and Statutes, past and present, that have been adopted by international non-governmental organizations.
(a) Aims The aims must be genuinely international in character, with the intention to cover operations in at least three countries. Hence such bodies as the International Action Committee for Safeguarding the Nubian Monuments or the Anglo-Swedish Society are excluded. Societies devoted solely to comemmorating particular individuals are therefore likewise ineligible.
(b) Members There must be individual or collective participation, with full voting rights, from at least three countries. Membership must be open to any appropriately qualified Individual or entity in the organization's area of operations. Closed groups are therefore excluded.
Voting power must be such that no one national group can control the organization. National organizations which accept foreigners as members are therefore normally excluded, as are religious orders or communities governed on a hierarchical basis and informal social movements.(c) Structure The Constitution must provide for a formal structure giving members the right periodically to elect governing body and officers. There must be permanent headquarters and provision made for continuity of operation. Hence the exclusion of ad hoc committees or the organizing committee of a single international meeting, though standing committees which link a series of meetings are eligible.
(d) Officers The fact that for a given period the officers are all of the same nationality does not necessarily debar the organization, but in this case there should normally be rotation at designated intervals of headquarters and officers among the various member countries.
(e) Finance Substantial contributions to the budget must come from at least three countries. Hence the exclusion of the many "international" unions and societies operating In North America on budgets derived almost wholly from the United States members. Foundations are excluded unless their funds derive from three or more countries. There must be no attempt to make profits for distribution to members. This does not exclude organizations which exist in order to help members themselves to make more profits or better their economic situation; but it does exclude international business enterprises (pp 1189-1214), investment houses, cartels, shipping conferences.
(f) Relations with other organizations Entities organically connected with another organization are not necessarily excluded, but there must be evidence that they lead an in dependant life and elect their own officers. Internal or subsidiary committees, appointed by and reporting to one of the structural units of a given organization, are excluded.
(g) Activities Evidence of current activity must be available; organizations which have given no sign of life during the previous couple of years are excluded. In situations primarily concerned to provide education, instruction or training are excluded (i.e. universities, colleges, schools, religious missions). Social clubs or forums existing solely to provide entertainment for members are also excluded.
It will be readily inferred from the foregoing that secret societies and organizations which are not prepared to reveal their aims, membership, structure, etc, cannot qualify for inclusion. On the other hand no stipulations are made as to size, whether in terms of number of members or financial strength. No organizations are excluded on political or ideological grounds, nor are fields of interest or activity taken into consideration. The geographical location of headquarters or the terminology used in an organization's name have been likewise held to be irrelevant in the determination of eligibility.
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