An international organization is an organization with an international membership, scope, or presence. International organizations are classified into two main categories:[1]
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), the type of organization most closely associated with the term "international organization." These are organizations that are made up primarily of sovereignstates (referred to as member states). Examples include the United Nations, European Union, and World Trade Organization). The United Nations has used the term "intergovernmental organizations" instead of "international organization" for clarity.[2]
^ The Penguin Dictionary of International Relations divides modern international organizations into two "basic types, the 'public' variety known as intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and the 'private' variety, the international non-governmental organization (INGOs)." (Evans, Graham, and Richard Newnham. Penguin Dictionary of International Relations. Penguin, 1998, p. 270.)
