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Collective Legitimization as a Political Function of the United Nations

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  • Claude, Inis L.

Abstract

As the United Nations has developed and as its role in world affairs has been adapted to the necessities and possibilities created and the limitations established by the changing realities of international politics, collective legitimization has emerged as one of its major political functions. By this I mean to suggest that the world organization has come to be regarded, and used, as a dispenser of politically significant approval and disapproval of the claims, policies, and actions of states, including, but going far beyond, their claims to status as independent members of the international system. In this essay I shall undertake to refine and elaborate this rough definition of collective legitimization and to discuss the performance of this role by the United Nations. It is essential in the beginning, however, to provide a foundation by offering some observations about the general problem of political legitimacy.

Suggested Citation

  • Claude, Inis L., 1966. "Collective Legitimization as a Political Function of the United Nations," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(3), pages 367-379, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:intorg:v:20:y:1966:i:03:p:367-379_01
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    Cited by:

    1. Stephen, Matthew D., 2015. "‘Can you pass the salt?’ The legitimacy of international institutions and indirect speech," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 21(4), pages 768-792.
    2. Biegoń, Dominika & Gronau, Jennifer & Schmidtke, Henning, 2013. "Magic mirror on the wall, who in the world is legitimate after all? Legitimacy claims of international institutions," TranState Working Papers 169, University of Bremen, Collaborative Research Center 597: Transformations of the State.
    3. Daniel O’Neill, 2009. "Anne Kent. 2007. Beyond compliance: China, international organizations, and global security (Palo Alto: Stanford University Press)," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 105-109, March.
    4. Zürn, Michael, 1987. "Gerechte internationale Regime: Bedingungen und Restriktionen der Entstehung nicht-hegemonialer internationaler Regime untersucht am Beispiel der Weltkommunikationsordnung," EconStor Books, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, volume 5, number 112658, July.
    5. Karen E. Smith, 2017. "EU Member States at the UN: A Case of Europeanization Arrested?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(3), pages 628-644, May.
    6. Kenneth W. Abbott & Duncan Snidal, 1998. "Why States Act through Formal International Organizations," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 42(1), pages 3-32, February.
    7. Beth A. Simmons, 2002. "Capacity, Commitment, and Compliance," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 46(6), pages 829-856, December.
    8. Ali Balci, 2022. "Controlling International Institutions: How the US Engineered UNSC Non‐permanent Members in the Early Cold War," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(2), pages 259-270, May.
    9. Nilsson, Adriana, 2017. "Making norms to tackle global challenges: The role of Intergovernmental Organisations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 171-181.
    10. Henning Schmidtke, 2019. "Elite legitimation and delegitimation of international organizations in the media: Patterns and explanations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 633-659, December.
    11. Jeni Whalan, 2010. "The power of friends," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 47(5), pages 627-637, September.
    12. Atsushi Tago, 2013. "Why do states formally invoke the right of individual self-defense? Legal-, diplomatic- and aid-politics to motivate states to respect international law," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 30(2), pages 161-177, April.
    13. Parizek, Michal & Stephen, Matthew D., 2021. "The Increasing Representativeness of International Organizations’ Secretariats: Evidence from the United Nations System, 1997–2015," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 65(1), pages 197-209.
    14. Terrence L. Chapman, 2007. "International Security Institutions, Domestic Politics, and Institutional Legitimacy," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 51(1), pages 134-166, February.
    15. Jonas Tallberg & Michael Zürn, 2019. "The legitimacy and legitimation of international organizations: introduction and framework," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 581-606, December.

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