What kinds of effects does a "weak" international organization have? A case study of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12736
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 06020:International relations-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University (2022); Kwansei Gakuin University (2018-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Akahoshi Sho 神戸大学, 国際協力研究科, 准教授 (20795380)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: グローバル・ガバナンス / 国際機構 / 調整 / 国連人道問題調整事務所（OCHA） / 世界保健機関（WHO） / 人道支援

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study has attempted to investigate (1) what role a “weak” international organization plays in global politics and (2) what effects it has on a global governance architecture. To answer these questions, the activities of UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have been analyzed as a case study. Although it has limited resources, such as budget, the number of staff, or its discretion, OCHA uses its authority to convene a variety of humanitarian actors, to facilitate learning among them, and to promote the creation of a common understanding on humanitarian assistance. In addition, in comparison with OCHA, this study has dealt with the activities of World Health Organization (WHO), which reveals that these agencies, OCHA and WHO, has a different expertise and a different style of coordination.

Free Research Field

国際関係論

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、2000年代以降、主に予算や人員規模の大きい組織の分析を行ってきた国際機構研究に対して、権限や人員、財政規模が小さい「弱い」国際機構であるOCHAを事例として選択し、国際機構が持つ権威、正統性、専門知識や、国際機構が促進する学習や共有知識の創造といった観念的側面を分析した点で学術的意義を持つ。また、グローバル課題に多様なアクターが取り組む現代において、対立や重複を回避し、一貫した政策を実現するために重要なのは「調整」である。その活動を行なう調整機関に焦点を当てて分析し、その役割や持ちうる戦略を分析した本研究は社会的意義も有している。