In some ways the position of international organizations in international law is reminiscent of the status of women in national law. It is accepted — with varying degrees of enthusiasm — that they are subjects of the law with a claim to rights and obligations equivalent to those of States, where a need for different treatment is not inherent in their nature. At the same time, there is controversy as to the “inherent” differences and their implications. The imagination to define the needs that are different from those of States and to provide appropriate solutions is signally lacking. Inertia, far more than active resistance, is an obstacle to adaptation of the law even where particular needs are identified.