Introduction

In May 1947, following the adoption of a resolution by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) effectively barring Spain from membership, the Peruvian delegate made the following statement:

Despite these reservations, Peru voted for the resolution on the basis that it had previously been approved by the UN General Assembly. The delegate's statement, although not Peru's ultimate vote, reflects Claude's comments as set out in Chapter 1 – that decisions on membership should be made with reference to the aims of the organisation. For the most part, the organisations examined to date were established for, or have subsequently developed, wide-ranging aims and purposes of a general political nature. This chapter moves away from organisations founded to fulfil general purposes in order to examine organisations dealing with specialised, sometimes quite technical matters. While the division between general and specialised institutions is not always clear-cut, as all international organisations are established for specific purposes, the functions of the organisations discussed in this chapter are more confined than those examined previously. Cooperation between states is still a fundamental goal, but it is cooperation on a specific topic.