Analysis Of Coordinative Relationship Between The Iran-iraq War And International Institutions

The Iran-Iraq War between 1980 and 1988 is one of the most brutal and destructive wars since the World War II. It has aroused serious concerns and close attention of the United Nations and other international organizations. Under the background of cold war, the US and Russia remained neutral, with a bid to cause destruction to both Iran and Iraq. During the war, international organizations such as the United Nations, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Conference, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Community played an active role in mediating between Iran and Iraq.The thesis mainly explores the coordinative relationship between international organizations and the two countries during the Iran-Iraq War. The thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapter one is about the introduction of the international organizations that are closely related to the Iran-Iraq War. Chapter two is about the United Nations and the Iran-Iraq War. The United Nations had the greatest and rather fruitful effect in the war. It was inactive at the beginning and the effect of it became greater in the process. The result was that the Iran-Iraq War came to an end after Iran accepted Resolution 598 of UN Security Council. Chapter three is about the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Conference and the Iran-Iraq War. Since Iraq is an important member of the Arab world and the Islamic world while Iran belongs to the Islamic world, the issues of interest differentiation and restructuring arose in the Arab world. The Organization of Islamic Conference kept a relationship of concentric circle with the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council on the issue of member state composition. The Organization of Islamic Conference(having 57 member states) covered up all the 22 member states of the Arab League, and six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council are also member states of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Conference. Since the Organization of Islamic Conference had the same direction with the Arab League in dealing with the Iran-Iraq War, the thesis tries to probe into the relationship between these two organizations and the war. Chapter four is about the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Iran-Iraq War. Chapter five is about the European Community and the Iran-Iraq War. Although the European Community declared to remain neutral, its major member states had an intention of supporting Iraq in the war.During the eight-year Iran-Iraq War, international organizations interacted deeply in the war. The rights of both sides intertwined, and power differentiation and restricting took place. The international organizations had no solid achievement in their mediating in early phase. There is no doubt that the ending of the Iran-Iraq War was subject to the great pressure of the international organizations. Iran was forced to accept Resolution 598 of the United Nations till it could no longer stand the war burden. In this sense, the ending of the Iran-Iraq War was also the result of the efforts of the international organizations.