Reputacja jako źródło (społecznej) odpowiedzialności organizacji międzynarodowych
Reputation as the Source of (Social) Accountability of International Organizations

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the issue which in English is referred to as “accountability”(and translated into Polish as „odpowiedzialność” or „rozliczalność”) of internationalorganizations (IO). The most important assumption of this paper isconducting a conceptual analysis of the specific type of IO accountability, whichis the accountability based on their reputation and classified by researchers asone of the accountability mechanisms involving participation in the assessmentof the activities of the organizations of the entities most affected by the organizations’actions. The theoretical background for the considerations presented in the textconstitute the assumptions of social constructivism emphasizing the importanceof meanings given to particular concepts by entities participating in a series ofinteractions and highlighting the process of the double construction in the relationsubject – structure. The thesis assumes that IO’s reputation determines how they areperceived internationally and in what way their actions are classified as legitimate.Thus, reputation becomes one of the sources of their accountability. The issueaddressed in the article seems to be particularly important for two reasons. Firstof all, the issue of accountability is related to the contemporary challenges that IOface, as they are often accused of lack of transparency in their activities, deficitof democratic procedures, etc. Secondly, international relations have become socomplicated that one should constantly ask the question who is accountable for someactivities, including in the framework of “Internet governance” or “global privategovernance”. It is no longer possible to refer to the accountability of the actorsof international relations in terms defined by the term “responsibility” suggestingthe responsibility for violation of the norms of international law.

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