Atle Hetland
After the end of the Second World War (WWII), the Western world, led by the USA, took the initiative to establish a network of government organisations and other international bodies for cooperation – believing that this would help prevent future conflicts and wars, and develop peaceful ties between countries for common prosperity. A number of organisations were created, with the United Nations (UN) being the topmost organisation, and under it many specialised agencies and programmes were developed for different subject areas, tasks, and geographic regions. Other multilateral organisations also saw the light of day. The World Health Organization (WHO), World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and others were established. The preamble to UNESCO’s constitution of 1945 reads: “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.” In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created in 1949 by the USA and Canada and nine countries on the European side of the Atlantic Ocean; today, NATO has 32 member countries, and it is the world’s largest defence organisation ever.
The major Western powers’ imperialistic systems broke up in the wake of WWII when the colonial possessions fought for independence, with the Indian crown colony achieving independence from the UK in 1947, and India and Pakistan were created as sovereign states, followed by a number of other Asian and African countries in the 1950s and 1960s, and some later. In similar ways as European countries were tied closely to the USA through the Marshall Help, officially the European Recovery Programme, from 1947–1952, former colonies and other Third World countries were tied closely to Europe and North America through development aid programmes when they gained independence. Many non-aligned countries developed ties with the Soviet Union.
The World Bank Group, or fully, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), also called the Bretton Woods institutions, and regional development banks, were created to provide loans and credits to developing countries, and some donations through IBRD’s ‘soft window’, the International Development Association (IDA). IBRD is officially a UN agency, but it has always operated independently from its headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C., next door to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and related institutions, also some to include assistance to the private sector.
The European Union (EU), or the European Economic Community (EEC), as it was first called, was established in 1957 by six central European member countries, which has now grown to 27 member countries. Some countries, which are not members, such as Norway and Switzerland, and now also the UK, have cooperation agreements with the EU in many fields. In 2012, the EU received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition for its work in promoting peace, reconciliation, democracy, and human rights. Its original and main goal is fostering economic cooperation and integration, eliminating trade barriers and developing a common market, and promoting the free movement of goods, services, and people among its members. Today, there is talk about further financial integration and other integration, but already many countries have adopted the common EURO currency.
Defence is not a direct part of the EU since NATO covers that, but some even want the EU to play a greater role in defence and security issues. The EU has been an important organisation to make European countries cooperate more closely practically and concretely after WWII, making wars among European countries less possible. There was war in Europe after the dissolution of Yugoslavia, and for over three years, there has been a terrible war in Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, after a decade-long conflict before that. Had Ukraine been a member of the EU, and even Russia, the war would hardly have taken place, and certainly not if Ukraine had been in NATO, which, however, is a red line for Russia. Also, there should have been much deeper dialogue between Europe and Russia, and the other CIS countries, and that must come in future in order to develop peaceful relations on the European continent with its neighbours eastward.
There are also other key cooperation organisations in Europe, such as the oldest one on the continent to promote human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, the Council of Europe, established in 1949 by 10 countries, now having 46 member countries. Currently, Russia is suspended primarily due to its invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, and Belarus has not been able to join since it is considered a dictatorship and therefore not allowed to be a member according to the organisation’s statutes.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was established in the Cold War time in Finland in 1975, and the organisation (first called a conference) now has 57 member countries in Europe, Central Asia, and North America with a secretariat in Austria and a documentation centre in the Czech Republic. Its current Chair (2025–2026) is Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; the current Secretary General comes from Türkiye. OSCE gained increased importance after the fall of the Soviet Union. It faces major crucial tasks ahead, especially those related to the European countries’ improvement of relations with Russia, and issues related to Ukraine’s long-term international relations, first related to ending the war and reconstruction after the war, and building a lasting peaceful framework.
As shown in the above presentation, most of the multilateral cooperation organisations created in the aftermath of WWII are government organisations, with some NGO organisations too, but the private sector has not yet become a major part of the network. Naturally, government organisations are stronger than other organisations, and it should be noted that there was a much stronger belief in the role of the government sector some decades ago than today. International and local NGOs, and interest organisations (e.g. in the labour sector and research), are also included in activities in the ‘UN family’, holding meetings on the fringes of the official UN meetings, and preparing reports and studies, sometimes in cooperation with UN agencies. NGOs often also implement activities funded by the UN. In several fields, such as women’s rights and gender equality, and environmental issues and global warming, NGOs have played a major role, often ahead of the UN, or as informal watchdogs and reminders of important issues and new trends.
It is evident that the large network of international organisations in the world is Western-oriented, with Europe and North America in the lead. That was needed after the end of the two terrible Western world wars, but it went far beyond what should have been done, and many organisations that should have been global became slanted to the West, including the United Nations. It has proven difficult to change and modernise the organisations, and several of them may have outplayed their role, something which President Trump and the USA have drawn attention to. In future, we will see changes, and also a smaller international network. Some competing networks will come up, such as BRICS and other organisations as China and Asia become stronger. Yet, it is likely that the West will still play a lead role also in the future, and many of the organisations and networks are good and relevant. As old organisations are improved and some dismantled, and new ones created, certainly to include better regulations of multinationals, inter alia, and also religious organisations, it is important to make them more democratic and universal, with high moral standards and goals, as also a lot of the existing system was developed with high goals, to prevent wars and conflicts and make a more prosperous, peaceful, and all-inclusive world. We still have a long way to go to develop effective
The writer is a senior Norwegian social scientist with experience from university, diplomacy and development aid. He can be reached at atlehetland@yahoo.com
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