New security challenges: the adaptation of international institutions

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During the East-West conflict, international institutions played a crucial role in global affairs, functioning as intra-bloc entities (like NATO and COMECON) or as broader organizations (such as the UN and CSCE). With the ideological divide now diminished, new opportunities for cooperation through these institutions arise. However, to seize these opportunities, existing institutions must be transformed to meet contemporary challenges. This requires incorporating new policy areas, competencies, instruments, and decision-making processes to effectively address their evolving tasks. The adjustment process itself involves international negotiations, as differing interests and concerns within specific policy areas often lead to varying preferences for institutional innovation. The articles in this volume explore the changes within international organizations that were influenced by the East-West conflict, focusing on the United Nations, CSCE, NATO, and the EU. They examine the institutional adjustments that have taken place, the qualities that have emerged, and the political significance these institutions may hold today and in the future, as they adapt to new international realities.