Government · Lesson 16

International organisations: UN, AU, ECOWAS, Commonwealth & OPEC

JAMBWAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

JAMB: International organisations: ECOWAS, OAU/AU, UNO, Commonwealth, OPEC: origin, objectives, structure, functions, achievements, problems and prospects; Nigeria’s role

WAEC: International organisations: the United Nations Organisation, the Commonwealth of Nations, the OAU and African Union, ECOWAS, OPEC: origins, aims and objectives, membership, organs/structure, achievements, problems; Nigeria’s role in them

NECO: International organisations: the United Nations Organisation, the Commonwealth of Nations, the OAU and African Union, ECOWAS, OPEC: origins, aims and objectives, membership, organs/structure, achievements, problems; Nigeria’s role in them

What you will learn

Explain why states form international organisations.
Describe the origin, aims, organs, achievements and problems of the United Nations.
Describe the Commonwealth: origin, aims, structure, achievements and problems.
Compare the OAU and the African Union.
Describe ECOWAS and OPEC: origin, aims, structure, achievements and problems.
Evaluate Nigeria’s role in each organisation.

Key points

International organisations: formed by treaty for peace, economic cooperation, common problems; global, regional, functional, historical.
UN: Charter signed 26 June 1945, in force 24 October 1945; 51 original, now 193 members; HQ New York; Nigeria joined 7 Oct 1960 (99th).
UN organs: General Assembly, Security Council (15; 5 permanent with veto), ECOSOC (54), Secretariat, ICJ (The Hague), Trusteeship Council (suspended 1994).
Commonwealth: London Declaration 1949; 56 members; values in Harare Declaration 1991 and Charter 2013; Anyaoku SG 1990–2000; Nigeria suspended 1995–99.
OAU: 25 May 1963, Addis Ababa, 32 founders; aims unity and decolonisation; non-interference.
AU: Sirte 1999, Lomé Act 2000, launched Durban 9 July 2002; 55 members; non-indifference (Art. 4(h)); AfCFTA; G20 member 2023.
ECOWAS: Lagos 28 May 1975 (15 founders); Cotonou revision 1993; Commission 2007, Abuja; free movement 1979; ECOMOG; 12 members after Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger left in Jan 2025.
OPEC: Baghdad Sept 1960, five founders; HQ Vienna; Nigeria 1971; quotas; OPEC+.
Nigeria: leading peacekeeper, funder and host (ECOWAS), with Nigerians in senior posts.

Start here: Why states form international organisations

An international organisation is a body established by agreement (treaty) between sovereign states to pursue common objectives, with permanent organs and rules.

Reasons

Peace and security: to prevent wars through collective security and peaceful settlement of disputes.
Economic cooperation: trade, development, common markets.
Solving common problems: disease, climate, refugees, drugs, terrorism.
Promoting human rights and humanitarian aid.
Collective bargaining power for weaker states (e.g. developing countries, oil producers).
Prestige and a platform for states to be heard.
Shared history or values (e.g. the Commonwealth).

Types

Global (universal): UN.
Regional: AU, ECOWAS.
Functional or commodity-based: OPEC.
Based on historical ties: Commonwealth.

Worked example 16.1

Classify: UN, ECOWAS, OPEC, Commonwealth.

UN: global. ECOWAS: regional (sub-regional, West Africa).
OPEC: commodity/functional. Commonwealth: association based on historical ties and shared values.

Global, regional, functional, historical

Try it yourself. State two reasons states join international organisations.

Show solution

For example: peace and security; economic cooperation.

Continue this lesson in the free app →

Practice questions

1. The United Nations Charter came into force on

24 October 1945
26 June 1945
10 December 1948
25 May 1963

Show answer

A: 24 October 1945
Signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945.

2. The UN currently has

51 members
55 members
15 members
193 members

Show answer

D: 193 members
51 founding members.

3. The UN organ with five permanent members holding veto power is the

ECOSOC
Secretariat
Security Council
General Assembly

Show answer

C: Security Council
15 members in total.

4. The permanent members of the Security Council are

USA, UK, France, Germany and Russia
USA, UK, France, Russia and China
USA, UK, Germany, Japan and China
USA, Nigeria, India, Brazil and China

Show answer

B: USA, UK, France, Russia and China
The P5.

5. The International Court of Justice sits at

The Hague
Geneva
New York
Vienna

Show answer

A: The Hague
Netherlands.

Key words

International organisation: A body formed by states (by treaty) to pursue common aims.
Charter: The founding treaty of an organisation, e.g. the UN Charter.
Veto: The power of a permanent member of the UN Security Council to block a substantive decision.
Specialised agency: An autonomous organisation linked to the UN, such as WHO, UNESCO or FAO.
Collective security: The idea that an attack on one is a concern of all, met by joint action.
Sovereign equality: The principle that all member states are legally equal.
CHOGM: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Constitutive Act: The founding treaty of the African Union (Lomé, 2000).
Economic integration: Linking economies through free trade, free movement and common policies.
Protocol: An additional agreement attached to a treaty, e.g. ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol (1979).
Quota: A production limit allocated to an OPEC member.
Non-indifference: The AU principle that members will not ignore grave crimes in other member states (contrast with OAU non-interference).

Learn International organisations: UN, AU, ECOWAS, Commonwealth & OPEC step by step, free.
The Cara's Tips app teaches every topic from the very basics, with quick checks, worked examples and exam practice. It works offline.
Open this lesson in the free app Download for Android