Since first publication in 1983 International Organizations has established itself as the leading text in the area, bringing together an explanation of the rise of international organizations, their development in the twentieth century, and an account of their significance in the modern international political system.

Much has happened in the real world of international relations since 1983: the Cold War has ended; the Soviet bloc has disintegrated and the Soviet Union is under strain; Germany is united and the European Community has been revived; the war between Iran and Iraq has ended, but another Gulf War quickly followed.

The continuities are as important as the changes: environmental degradation and Third World poverty and debt continue. All of these factors have had an influence on the role and behaviour of international organizations and upon the way in which they have been viewed by individual countries, and all are evaluated in this comprehensively revised and updated second edition.