Who We Are
CNU – Global Intergovernmental Organization (G.I.O.)
Originating from the Italian peninsula, the Global Intergovernmental Organization – Confederation of Humanitarian Nations (CNU) began its journey in Europe before expanding across the Atlantic. Within a few months, it gained recognition and cooperation in several regions throughout Europe and the Americas.
The Confederates of the CNU are united by a strong humanitarian spirit. Their mission is to assist, protect, and promote communities and populations in need, acting as observers and defenders of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and supporting the development of territories through collaboration with local institutions.
CNU works to promote human rights, social justice, sustainable economic growth, and environmental protection as interconnected pillars of a just and peaceful society.
In early 2022, the CNU began its collaboration with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), participating in international forums dedicated to global governance and humanitarian diplomacy.
That same year, the Confederation laid the groundwork for the establishment of the International Bank for Cooperation and Economic Development, an instrument designed to strengthen ethical financial systems and promote human-centered economic models.
CNU also initiated diplomatic relations with embassies of several signatory countries of the Hague Convention, expanding its network of partnerships and multilateral cooperation channels at the institutional level.
Shared Global Responsibility
Today, the concept of sovereignty can no longer be confined to territorial or political boundaries.
Based on the lessons of recent decades, it is essential to rethink global cooperation through new models of shared responsibility capable of preventing crises that threaten social and economic stability.
Building a fairer and more effective system of international cooperation has become imperative.
The previous multilevel governance models—although ambitious—have often struggled to produce tangible outcomes, creating new divisions and inequalities.
The experience of the European Union, for instance, demonstrates the need to balance integration with respect for diversity, to ensure that every citizen can truly participate in a shared and inclusive democratic space.
This reflection leads to a broader goal: to strengthen multilateral cooperation through human dignity, cultural diversity, and dialogue among nations, ensuring that global development becomes sustainable, participatory, and equitable.
This is the challenge that the Confederation of Humanitarian Nations brings to the international arena:
to foster cooperation among governments, institutions, and civil society in defense of human dignity, peace, and justice—without political agendas, and in full respect of international law.
The CNU stands for a vision of solidarity-based global governance, where collaboration replaces competition and where humanity becomes the measure of progress.
International Organizations and Legal Nature
International organizations are inter-state institutions that unite regional or global members for specific objectives.
A distinction is generally made between intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)—established through treaties under international law—and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Over time, hybrid forms have also emerged, combining both governmental and civic components.
From a legal perspective, an international organization is established through a treaty, statute, or convention, and upon signature by its founding members, it acquires international legal personality.
This grants it the capacity to enter into agreements, adopt soft law instruments, and act as a subject of international law.
Such organizations operate under the principle of specialty: unlike States, they do not hold general competence but exercise only the powers expressly conferred upon them by their founding instruments in pursuit of their common goals.
The principle of legal personality—distinct from that of the participating States—was affirmed by international jurisprudence, notably in the 1949 International Court of Justice (ICJ) opinion recognizing the United Nations’ right to claim reparation for damages suffered by its personnel. The Court stated:
“The conclusion of agreements by the Organization confirms its sufficient autonomy, occupying a position distinct from its Members, and having, when necessary, the duty to remind them of certain obligations.”
“The Organization was intended to enjoy rights that can only be explained if it possesses, to a large extent, international legal personality and the capacity to act on the international plane.”
Within international organizations, governance structures may vary. Some are composed of representatives of States acting in the name of their governments; others include independent members expected to act solely in the interest of the organization itself.
This principle of functional independence is particularly relevant in international judicial bodies, where impartiality is an essential requirement.
International organizations, therefore, differ fundamentally from informal groups such as the G7 or G20, which lack founding treaties and operate only as consultative forums.
They are also distinct from trade agreements such as NAFTA or the GATT (1947–1995), which did not create permanent institutions but rather contractual frameworks implemented by their signatories.