International Organizations


Please refer to the Cross-Registration section of the Registration website for more information on how to seek approval for non-SIPA courses.


International Affairs


INAF U6139y International Organizations 3 pts. The way we see the world is determined by the mental maps we make of it. In international affairs, the nation state is still seen as the essential building block of political and social organization, which defines how the world interacts globally. Yet, this perception is to some extent an illusion: people function at many levels simultaneously, in their family, in their community, in their nation, in their region, and globally -- and the scope of the issues addressed varies accordingly, from the choice of a family physician, the selection of a school board or the establishment of fair taxation rates, all the way to the broadest concerns about nuclear threats and the implications of climate change. And at each functional level, there are matching institutions that allow for joint decision making.

This course intends to provide students with a mental map of the international organizations that shape public policy and determine global action at a level beyond the nation state. Such a mapping exercise is useful for all SIPA students, as each of the concentrations and regional specializations requires clarity about the institutions that influence the developments in their area of study, be it the large global structures of the United Nations system or the Bretton Woods framework, regional actors such as the African Union, non-governmental behemoths like World Vision International, or specialized public-private partnerships, exemplified by GAVI, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. Insight into the nature and scope of such international organizations is key to understanding the decision making processes affecting economic development, human rights, the environment, international security and social policy. SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: EPD. SIPA: Intl Org.

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Spring
2013

INAF
6139

17198
001

Th 11:00a - 12:50p
405 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BLDG

D. Salomons

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INAF U6161y African Institutions in a Changing Regional & Global Security Environment The course will analyze the current political context - the opportunities as well as the constraints - facing the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs). We will examine key challenges facing African institutions and leaders including developing the tools for good governance, dealing with the illegal exploitation of natural resources, conflict resolution, protection of human rights, and strengthening humanitarian response (e.g. protection of women and children in conflict zones). African states have the potential to benefit from globalization but are also challenged by both old and new global trading patterns from which in many areas they are still marginalized. Recognizing and overcoming these constraints represents a major challenge for Africa's leaders and civil society representatives as well as their external partners - the United Nations, the European Union, and major bilateral donors. SIPA: Africa. SIPA: Intl Org.

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Spring
2013

INAF
6161

85941
001

Tu 9:00a - 10:50a
801 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BLDG

J. Hirsch

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INAF U6166y African Institutions 1.5 pts. The course seeks to give you the perspective and analytical capability to deal with in-depth consideration of the complex challenges facing Africa's regional and sub-regional institutions. In particular, the course aims to enable you: a) to acquire knowledge and understanding of the recent history and contemporary developments of selected African organizations; and b) to examine the context and consequences of current and emerging global political and economic challenges for African institutions. The course will seek to challenge you to approach these issues through the prism of African and international decision-makers, and to be able to offer them policy relevant recommendations. SIPA: Africa. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: Short Courses.

INAF U6190x Complex Emergencies: Root Causes to Rebuilding 3 pts. This course forms an introduction to the broader program on humanitarian affairs. We will address the root causes of complex humanitarian emergencies, the practices of humanitarian intervention, the main actors, and the opportunities and dilemmas for rebuilding. We will also discuss the main critiques of humanitarian action and possible alternatives. The course advocates the principle that humanitarian aid should be provided from a (long-term) development perspective? otherwise it can reinforce conflict and exclusion. SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: EPD. SIPA: Human Rights. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: Humanitarian Affairs. SIPA: UN Studies.

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Autumn
2012

INAF
6190

27783
001

M 11:00a - 12:50p
324 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BLDG

D. Salomons

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INAF U6352x United Nations and Globalization 3 pts. The course will explore the multiple dimensions of the impact of globalization on the role of the United Nations. The new millennium has seen a vigorous debate take shape on global governance. Every aspect of global governance is currently the subject of review and debate : the financial system, security and the role and composition of the Security Council, a new climate change architecture, the trade regime and the future of the Doha round, human rights, the future of development assistance and the provision of global public goods, and the need for a new multilateralism. It has been over half a century since so many core issues at the heart of effective global governance have been on the drawing board simultaneously. This course will analyse the implications of a range of these issues for the current work of the UN and for its future role. The session headings indicate the specific issues that will be covered. SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: UN Studies.

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Autumn
2012

INAF
6352

81198
001

Th 11:00a - 12:50p
402B INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BLDG

B. Jenks

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INAF U6355y Globalization 3 pts. Prerequisites: SIPA U4201 OR SIPA U6401 Globalization has become something of a fad, being credited for everything from the collapse of communism to El Nino to distress in the capital markets. But what is generally agreed upon is that the integration of markets for goods, services, and capital has created both new opportunities and challenges for firms, governments and international organizations. The tremendous opportunities lie in the potential to grow new markets, transfer ideas and technology, and foster cooperation across the disparate corners of the globe. The challenges lie in how to manage the conflicts that inevitably arise over the distribution of costs and benefits that a global economy entails. The objective of this course is to highlight how U.S. domestic interests and institutions have met the demands of globalization. While globalization by definition is multi-faceted, this course focuses on one key dimension of globalization, international trade policy. Moreover, the course is inter-disciplinary, as it draws on analytical frameworks developed in economics, political science, and business to illustrate the linkages and tensions that firms and governments face in the new global context. The course is divided into three parts. The first part focuses on the basics of globalization: what is it? what are the benefits? and what are its costs? The second part of the course focuses on how the U.S. trade policy making process works, and how domestic interests and institutions respond to the demands of globalization: who wins and loses, how do firms formulate effective market and non-market strategies, and how do the institutions of governance aggregate these demands? The third section of the course applies this logic of policy making to recent and ongoing issues in globalization and international trade. SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: APEA. SIPA: IFEP- Economic Policy. SIPA: Intl Org.

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Spring
2013

INAF
6355

78647
001

Th 4:10p - 6:00p
405A INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BLDG

S. O'Halloran

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INAF U6359x Global Economic Governance 3 pts. This course aims at familiarizing students with major issues surrounding global economic governance and its effects on developing countries. It will start with two general lectures that will deal with the objectives of international cooperation, the historical evolution of the current governance and typologies of the different rules, organization and governance structures that have been created at varied times. It will then deal in detail with major topics in the broad agenda of global economic governance, exploring both issues that are the subject of current debates as well as the institutional questions involved. "Global economic governance" is understood in a broad sense, to refer both to global and regional frameworks, as well as those rules of international transactions that have been left to bilateral agreements or are under the domain of national sovereignty. "Economic" is also understood in a broad sense, to include also social and environmental issues. SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: EPD. SIPA: IFEP- Economic Policy. SIPA: Intl Org.

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Autumn
2012

INAF
6359

85846
001

M 4:10p - 6:00p
405 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BLDG

J. Ocampo
K. Dervis

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INAF U6362x Global Collective Action 3 pts.Not offered in 2012-2013. Prerequisites: SIPA U4200 or SIPA U6400 This course develops a framework in which the role of institutions emerges endogenously. The course then applies this to a large number of cases, from climate change to nuclear non-proliferation; from big science research to over-fishing; from war to peacekeeping; from disease eradication to choosing technical standards. The course shows what globalization really means. It also reveals the relationship between global (and regional) collective action and international development. Applying the framework requires tools. Economics enables us to express the consequences of different outcomes in comparable units. It also exposes fundamental incentives. Game theory makes us consider who the players are, what their choices are, and the nature of their interaction. Game theory explains why institutions (like treaties) exist and what they are and are not able to do. SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: EPD. SIPA: IFEP- Economic Policy. SIPA: Intl Org.

INAF U6406x International Response to Landmine Challenge 1.5 pts. The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction effectively seeks to permanently eliminate landmines. The origins, negotiation, and implementation of this December 1997 international agreement forms the substantive core of this course. The course will continue by examining the operationalization of the Convention. What programs have been implemented and which have proved to be successful? What is the geographic scope of the humanitarian threat posed by landmines in October 2004? What roles are states, international organizations and nongovernmental organizations playing? As a practical example of global humanitarian intervention by the international community, what challenges remain and how best can they be tackled? Finally, how "successful" has the Ottawa Convention been?SIPA: EPD. SIPA: Human Rights. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: Humanitarian Affairs. SIPA: UN Studies. SIPA: Short Courses.

INAF U6440x Peace Operations in Fragile States 3 pts. This course will focus on peace operations and the stabilization of fragile states. It will assess the various tools used by the International community and the evolution in their use: the deployment of military forces, transitional authorities, multidimensional operations, security sector reform, rule of law and transitional justice, support to political processes. It will conclude with an examination of the evolving broader political context and the growing challenge it poses to effective stabilization strategies: an increasingly divided international community, limited consent of host countries, obstacles to effective reform of the United Nations. The course will be entirely based on case studies drawn from operations of the last 20 years. Assignments and classroom discussion are designed to prepare students for professional work in developing or implementing stabilization strategies in fragile states. SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: EPD. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: ISP. SIPA: ICR.

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Autumn
2012

INAF
6440

60997
001

M 2:10p - 4:00p
1302 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BLDG

J. Guehenno

[ More Info ]

Spring
2013

INAF
6440

66346
001

M 2:10p - 4:00p
1302 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BLDG

J. Guehenno

[ More Info ]

INAF U6556y United Nations: Challenges and Alternatives 3 pts. Does the United Nations matter? The course will offer a broad assessment and analysis of the place, performance and potential of the United Nations within the nation-state system. It will assess the world body based on a range of distinct expectations through the prism of global threats, global norms and global responsibilities. Increasingly the world is confronted with phenomena - related to both security and development - which require global responses; the question this course seeks to answer is to what extent can we rely on the UN to act as a global instrument for constructive change? The United Nations does not exist in isolation. It is shaped by the broad political context in which it operates. The course will first examine the changing nature of world politics and the new challenges it poses to the world organization in the 21st century, both the end of the Cold War and the impact of 9/11 having profoundly shaped the framework within which policy and action must take place. In particular the course will examine the emergence of new threats (the unprecedented role of non-state actors, the emergence of a single hyper-power and the reformulation of state sovereignty) which go beyond borders and the reach of individual states - no matter how powerful they may be - and which require a global response. Will the United Nations be up to the challenge? And, we must also ask, who exactly is the United Nations? SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: EPD. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: ISP. SIPA: ICR.

INAF U6566x The United States & The United Nations 3 pts.Not offered in 2012-2013. This course will cover the development of the vital if sometimes problematical relationship between the most powerful country on the planet, the United States, and the world's foremost security organization, the United Nations. Attention will be paid to the various trade-offs, compromises, power struggles and conflicts between the US and the UN over the course of the organization's sixty-six year history. Individual case studies will examine how the US, through its military and economic and political might, has influenced the UN on its war and peace decisions, on the selection of its Secretary-Generals, on the financing of its annual operations, on its approach to terrorism, and on the work of its agencies. In turn, analysis will be made of the UN's unique role in mediating between America and the other 191 nations of the world. In particular, attention will be given to the UN's role in providing legitimacy to Washington's policies or in withholding such legitimacy, and to the capacity of the UN to set standards and norms that guide nations, even for the most formidable land on earth. SIPA: Intl Org.

INAF U6802y International Law 3 pts.Not offered in 2012-2013. This course introduces students to the basic doctrines of public international law and considers their relationship to both international relations theory and a range of problems in current international politics. The aim of the course is to provide a framework to understand the normative dimensions of international relations. Students are asked to consider the theoretical arguments, processes and frameworks that provide the structure of international law, and to analyze their practical application to world issues of current concern. A problem-oriented approach to various case studies will be used in both lectures and discussion sessions, including situations in the former Yugoslavia, East Timor, Africa and Iraq. In this way, the course attempts to integrate method, substance, concepts and domestic application of the international legal system. SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: EPD. SIPA: Human Rights. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: ISP.

INAF U8507x The Security Council and Peacekeeping in Africa in the 21st Century 3 pts. Instructor Permission Required This course will focus on the role of the Security Council (SC) as a decision making body in the establishment and conduct of peace keeping operations in Africa in the post cold war period. It will examine the multiple factors, which come into play in the authorization of peace keeping operations by the SC. It will provide an understanding of the political dynamics and practical diplomacy of the international system as it applies to Africa. The course will analyze the current political context, in which conflicts in Africa are bound to happen in the future. It will examine the reorientation of the UN's attention towards issues like terrorism, Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan and WMD. Will Africa be the poor parent and remain outside the intervention zone? Instructor permission is required to register for this course. Please go to: http://sipa.columbia.edu/academics/sipa_registration/instructions.html for instructions. SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: Africa. SIPA: EPD. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: ISP. SIPA: ICR. SIPA: UN Studies.

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Autumn
2012

INAF
8507

22148
001

W 11:00a - 12:50p
405A INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BLDG

E. Lindenmayer

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INAF U8559x Building Peace after Conflict 1.5 pts. This short course traces the outlines of the international community's steep learning curve in addressing the challenges of post-conflict peace building. It will examine some of the early UN and World Bank experiments in restoring nation states, follow the institutional changes meant to build capacity in the field of post-conflict recovery, look at the methodological and funding tools developed to strengthen field operations, and review some case studies illustrating the impact of this evolution.SIPA: EPD. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: ICR. SIPA: Humanitarian Affairs. SIPA: Short Courses.

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Autumn
2012

INAF
8559

26283
001

Th 4:10p - 6:00p
405A INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BLDG

D. Salomons

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INAF U8560y Managing The UN System 3 pts. In this course, the participants will examine the governance structure and decision-making processes in the UN organizations. They will review the rules and regulations whereby the organizations handle people, money and tangible assets, and see how they manage their human and financial resources. Special attention will be paid to the way in which cultural and political factors influence management practices. Key issues such as decentralization, coordination and the management of change will recur throughout the course. The interaction of the UN system with donors, the private sector and with civil society as partners in the provision of services will be closely studied. SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: EPD. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: UN Studies.

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Spring
2013

INAF
8560

61280
001

M 11:00a - 12:50p
324 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BLDG

D. Salomons

[ More Info ]

INAF U8565x European Security 3 pts. This course surveys historical and current case studies in the context of theoretical debates about the sources of security and insecurity and war and peace. The aim is to establish a foundation for analyzing the prospects for a secure order in Europe in the first part of the 21st century. The emphasis is on problems concerning strategic calculations, military strategy and war as well as political processes and institutional dynamics. Separate sections in the second half of the term are devoted to selected current policy challenges, such as transatlantic rifts, identity issues and ethnonational conflict, transitions in Central Europe and the former Soviet Union, NATO and EU enlargements, and European foreign and defense initiatives. SIPA: East Central Europe. SIPA: Europe. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: ISP. SIPA: Russia.

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Spring
2013

INAF
8565

68746
001

Tu 4:10p - 6:00p
1302 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BLDG

C. Roberts

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INAF U8738y Peacemaking/Peacekeeping 3 pts.Not offered in 2012-2013. The course will explore the major conceptual and operational transitions which have occurred in the character and responsibilities of UN Peacekeeping over the past 16 years. United Nations Peace Operations have evolved significantly since the end of the Cold War. In 2006 over 90,000 peacekeepers were deployed in 16 missions mostly in Africa and the Middle East. The UN Summit of world leaders in December 2005 adopted the concept of The Responsibility to Protect - a new global norm placing human rights over traditional concepts of sovereignty. Yet the humanitarian and political crisis in Darfur underscores the profound gap between principle and implementation. The Summit also established the UN Peacebuilding Commission reflecting a growing awareness that rebuilding collapsed states will require significant civilian as well as military engagement over a longer timeframe than heretofore envisaged for UN operations. There is also a new willingness to work in partnership with regional organizations. We will conclude the course by assessing the capacity and political will of UN member states to meet these challenges as well as to develop a strengthened response to the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea and the threat of international terrorism. SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: EPD. SIPA: Human Rights. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: ISP. SIPA: Middle East. SIPA: ICR. SIPA: Humanitarian Affairs. SIPA: UN Studies.

INAF U8867y International Enforcement and the UN Security Council No other institution in world history has been granted by its near universal membership the authority to mandate coercive measures, including sanctions and the use of force against sovereign states. Has the Security Council fulfilled the dreams of its founders? The course will define the Security Council's authority and powers through the provisions of the charter. It will discuss in detail the issue of collective security, sovereignty, threat to international peace and security, the use of force and non intervention. Through various case studies, it will examine the array of tools the Council has at its disposal from persuasion and diplomatic tools to peace keeping, economic sanctions, military enforcement and use of force. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: UN Studies.

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Spring
2013

INAF
8867

88752
001

W 11:00a - 12:50p
405A INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BLDG

E. Lindenmayer

[ More Info ]

REGN


REGN U8090x The Transatlantic Economy 3 pts. A course on economic relations in an era of regionalism and the formation of rival economic blocs. This course examines the changing architecture of contemporary US-EU relations, placing this relationship within wider multilateral obligations. Topics to be discussed include conceptual frameworks within which the relationship may be analyzed; the economic dimension to common security; causes and consequences of past and present trade disputes; the development and implementation of the Transatlantic Agenda and related programs such as the Transatlantic Business Dialogue; implications for the dollar of European Monetary Union; and the impact on the relationship of each side's ties to other regional arrangements such as APEC, Mercosur and EU enlargement to Eastern and Central Europe. Course requirements: A term paper and classroom presentations. SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: APEA. SIPA: IFEP- Finance. SIPA: IFEP- Economic Policy. SIPA: Europe. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: United States. SIPA: UN Studies.


SIPA


SIPA U0020x and y (Section 4) Specialization: International Organization All SIPA candidates are required to register for one of the specializations in each semester of matriculation at SIPA. The specialization registration will be for zero academic credits and will not affect or be affected by fees or financial charges. SIPA: Intl Org.

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Autumn
2012

SIPA
0020

69259
004

TBA

D. Salomons

[ More Info ]

Spring
2013

SIPA
0020

26346
004

TBA

D. Salomons

[ More Info ]

Law


LAW L6249x European Union Law and Institutions 3 pts.Not offered in 2012-2013. This is a Law School course. For more detailed course information, please go to the Law School Curriculum Guide at: http://www.law.columbia.edu/courses/search SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: Europe. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: Electives.

LAW L6382y International Finance: Law, Money and Banking in the Global Economy 2 pts.

This is a Law School course.

For more detailed course information, please go to the Law School Curriculum Guide at: http://www.law.columbia.edu/courses/search

SIPA: IFEP- Finance. SIPA: IFEP- Economic Policy. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: Electives.

LAW L6543 International Courts and Tribunals 3 pts. This is a Law School course. For more detailed course information, please go to the Law School Curriculum Guide at: http://www.law.columbia.edu/courses/search SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: Electives.

LAW L8023y S. Current Issues in European Union Law 2 pts. This is a Law School course.

For more detailed course information, please go to the Law School Curriculum Guide at: http://www.law.columbia.edu/courses/search SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: Electives.

LAW L8132x or y Governance in the European Union 2 pts. This is a Law School course.

For more detailed course information, please go to the Law School Curriculum Guide at: http://www.law.columbia.edu/courses/search SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: Electives.

LAW L8861y Constitutional Law of the UN 2 pts. This is a Law School course.

For more detailed course information, please go to the Law School Curriculum Guide at: http://www.law.columbia.edu/courses/search

SIPA: MIA- Interstate Relations. SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: UN Studies. SIPA: Electives.

LAW L8883y Judicial Settlement of International Disputes 2 pts.Not offered in 2012-2013. This is a Law School course.

For more detailed course information, please go to the Law School Curriculum Guide at: http://www.law.columbia.edu/courses/search SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: Electives.

LAW L9001x or y United Nations Peacekeeping 2 pts.Not offered in 2012-2013. This is a Law School course.

For more detailed course information, please go to the Law School Curriculum Guide at: http://www.law.columbia.edu/courses/search SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: Electives.

LAW L9383y International Humanitarian Law 2 pts. Prerequisites: Students who have not taken either International Law (L6269) or Human Rights (L6276) at Columbia Law School should contact the instructor for permission to enroll, and submit information on their relevant international law experience and/or background.

This is a Law School course.

For more detailed course information, please go to the Law School Curriculum Guide at: http://www.law.columbia.edu/courses/search

SIPA: Intl Org. SIPA: Electives.
Unify Course Listings


Of Related Interest

Political Science

G8833 Law of War

G8843 International Law & International Relations

G8861 Change In the International System.