The article refers to the changes in the system of international relations that caused the emergence in the second half of the XIX century of international intergovernmental (IGOs) and non-governmental (INGOs) organizations and their subsequent evolution, notes the features and complementarity of each group of international organizations, assesses the League of Nations and the UN, as well as the impact of the cold war on the process ofemergence and functioning of international organizations and their transformation into tools for implementation of the collective strategy of member states against their international opponents, the emergence of a new type of international associations after its completion is noted, their distinctive features are highlighted.
