Modern Legal Forms of State Participation in the Activities of International Organizations

Abstract

International intergovernmental organizations, as subjects of international law, play an important role in modern international relations. States have a key place in their activities. Currently, there are various legal forms of participation of states in the work of international organizations. Each form has its own characteristics, which are expressed primarily in the availability and scope of rights and obligations, as well as the level and conditions of interaction between States and international organizations. At the same time, the issues of the state’s participation or non-participation in the activities of an international organization, in choosing the form of such participation, are exclusively within its jurisdiction, which is one of the elements of state sovereignty. It is obvious that states have a variety of reasons for choosing the form of interaction with an international organization, while, as a rule, they are based on their own interests. The paper provides a comparative legal analysis of modern forms of state participation in the activities of international organizations, provides their practical examples, and notes the differences, advantages and disadvantages. Special attention is given to the institution of membership, which has a special status among the existing forms of participation of states in international organizations. The peculiarities of the legal status of a member of an international organization, its varieties, methods and grounds for the acquisition, suspension and loss of membership are revealed. The legal aspects of the interaction of states with international organizations as candidates for membership, partners, observers, specially invited countries are considered. The analysis suggests that the existence of different forms of participation of states in international organizations is an absolute achievement of modern international law, allowing the state to adopt the most appropriate ways of cooperation with international organizations.