Claim: International Relations includes the U.N.

An international organization is an organization with an international membership , scope , or presence . There are two main types :   International nongovernmental organizations -LRB- I NGOs -RRB- : non-governmental organizations -LRB- NGOs -RRB- that operate internationally . These include international non-profit organizations and worldwide companies such as the World Organization of the Scout Movement , International Committee of the Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières .  Intergovernmental organizations , also known as international governmental organizations -LRB- IGO , s -RRB- : the type of organization most closely associated with the term ` international organization ' , these are organizations that are made up primarily of sovereign states -LRB- referred to as member states -RRB- . Notable examples include the United Nations -LRB- UN -RRB- , Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development -LRB- OECD -RRB- , Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe -LRB- OSCE -RRB- , Council of Europe -LRB- COE -RRB- , International Labour Organization -LRB- ILO -RRB- , World Trade Organization -LRB- WTO -RRB- & World Health Organization -LRB- WHO -RRB- . The UN has used the term `` intergovernmental organization '' instead of `` international organization '' for clarity .   The first and oldest intergovernmental organization is the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna .   The role of international organizations are helping to set the international agenda , mediating political bargaining , providing place for political initiatives and acting as catalysts for coalition - formation . International organizations also define the salient issues and decide which issues can be grouped together , thus help governmental priority determination or other governmental arrangements .