International Organizations
International Organizations are multilateral bodies that countries can join, lead, and use to coordinate foreign policy, pass bloc-level legislation, and establish free trade agreements. The system ships with 7 built-in organizations (EU, NATO, UN, Commonwealth, Warsaw Pact, Non-Aligned, COMECON) and also allows players to create custom organizations.
Built-in organizations#
| Organization | Description |
|---|---|
| EU (European Union) | A political and economic union of European member states pursuing deep integration, a common market, and coordinated foreign policy. |
| NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) | A transatlantic military alliance founded on the principle of collective defense: an attack on one is an attack on all. |
| UN (United Nations) | The premier global forum for diplomacy, peacekeeping, humanitarian coordination, and international law. |
| Commonwealth (Commonwealth of Nations) | A voluntary association of sovereign states bound by shared history, language, and institutions, coordinating on development, trade, and diplomacy. |
| Warsaw Pact (Warsaw Pact) | The collective-defense alliance of the socialist states, binding its members under a unified military command. |
| Non-Aligned (Non-Aligned Movement) | A movement of states that decline alliance with either bloc, coordinating through periodic summits under a rotating chair rather than a permanent secretariat. |
| COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) | The economic coordination body of the socialist states, organising planned trade, specialisation, and technical cooperation among members. |
These 7 are defined in the catalogue; era founding and dissolution years decide which exist in a given world. Players can also create custom organizations.
Organization structure#
Every organization, built-in or custom, has the following components:
Founding members#
Each org is created with a list of founding member countries that defines the initial membership. Additional countries can join later through the membership proposal process (see below).
Leadership office#
Each org has a leadership office with:
- A title (e.g., Secretary-General, Secretary General, President of the Council)
- A termTurns of 96 turns (approximately 2 game years)
Leadership elections are held when the term expires, and the office confers authority over the org's agenda and legislation.
Charter#
Each org has a charter: a text document describing its purpose, rules, and governance principles. The charter is set at creation and can be amended through org legislation.
Membership proposals#
New countries join an org through a membership proposal, which is voted on by existing members for 24 turns. If the proposal passes within that window, the applicant becomes a member. If it fails or expires, the country is not admitted.
Leadership elections#
When a leadership term (96 turns) expires, the org holds a leadership election. Eligible candidates compete for the leadership office, and the winner serves the next full term. Holding leadership of a major org like the EU or NATO is a significant source of political influence on the international stage.
Organization legislation#
International organizations can pass legislation that binds their members. Key legislation types include:
- Withdrawal bills: a member-state's exit from the organization
- FTA legislation: establishing a free trade agreement between members (see International Trade)
Org legislation is voted on by members, typically over the same 24-turn voting window used for membership proposals.
Custom organizations#
Players can create their own international organizations with arbitrary parameters:
- A player-chosen name: the org is identified by a unique short name
- A player-created flag: marks the org as player-created (as opposed to built-in)
- Player-defined founding members, leadership office, and charter
Custom orgs function identically to built-in ones for membership, leadership, and legislation purposes. The primary difference is provenance: they did not exist at game start.
Organization pages#
Each organization has a dedicated page at the route:
/international/[orgId]
This page displays the org's membership, current leadership, active legislation, charter, and proposal history. Both built-in and custom orgs are accessible this way.
Strategic notes#
- Joining an org grants bloc benefits. Countries that share an org membership receive a trade affinity bonus (see International Trade).
- Leading an org amplifies your voice. The leadership office gives you agenda-setting power and political influence.
- FTAs are the most impactful org legislation. A free trade agreement between two members eliminates bilateral tariffs and boosts trade affinity, a major economic lever.
- Custom orgs are flexible. You can create a bloc tailored to your diplomatic strategy, inviting only aligned countries.
Related systems#
- International Trade: how org membership and FTAs affect trade affinity
- Tariffs: how FTAs override bilateral tariffs
- Foreign Policy: international standing and its domestic effects