Why International Organizations Hate Politics: Depoliticizing the World

“We don’t do politics!” Anyone who has dealt with international organizations (IOs) has heard this claim at least once. Building on the concept of depoliticization, this book provides a systematic analysis of IO apolitical claims and why they “hate” politics. It shows that depoliticization sustains IO everyday activities while allowing them to remain engaged in politics, even when they pretend not to. Delving into the inner dynamics of global governance, this book develops an analytical framework on IOs and depoliticization by bringing together practices and logics of depoliticization in a wide variety of historical, geographic and organizational contexts. With multiple case studies in the fields of labor rights and economic regulation, environmental protection, development and humanitarian aid, peacekeeping, among others, this book shows that depoliticization is enacted in a series of overlapping, sometimes mundane, practices resulting from the complex interaction between professional and individual habits, organizational cultures and deliberate tactics. By approaching the consequences of these practices in terms of logics, it addresses the instrumental dimension of depoliticization without assuming that IO actors necessarily intend to depoliticize their action or global problems