Drawing on mainstream and critical theoretical approaches, International Organizations offers a comprehensive examination of international organizations' political and structural role in world politics. This text details the types and activities of international organizations and provides students with the conceptual tools needed to evaluate their effectiveness. Surveying key issue areas from international and human security to trade and the environment, International Organizations looks at present and future possibilities for global governance from a broad range of perspectives.New to the Fifth EditionThe nexus between international law and international organizations is explored to show how they complement and influence each other. Each issue chapter highlights the relevant treaties, norms, and customs, and interprets the impact of international law on the politics of the issue.Not only does this book cover international and human security concerns but it now looks at the growing danger posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, with special emphasis on the spread of nuclear weapon technology.A new in-depth case study on Iran explores Iran's quest for nuclear technology against the backdrop of its legal duties and obligations under Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty (NPT). The case also examines the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in managing the use of nuclear technology and energy.An updated analysis of global climate change is provided to explain the political outcomes of the 2009 Copenhagen Conference.An exploration of international criminal law with special reference to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).Every chapter includes the most recent political events, scholarship, and data, especially as it relates to the impact of the global financial crisis on trade and development.