Expressing Emotions and Ontological Security in International Organisations

Abstract What emotions do international organisations ( IO s) display in times of tragedy and why do they matter? I argue that IO s express emotions that aim to produce ontological security, defined as feelings of security of Self. Conceptualising emotions and affect as illocutions-perlocutions, I show how emotions expressed by IO s in times of crisis aim at creating trust and deterring dangers, thus having the potential to ultimately shape feelings of security. I examine NATO ’s response following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. I demonstrate that, through the ritualised and performative nature of speech acts and practices, NATO , seen as the illocutor of emotional expressions such as unity, solidarity, friendship and joy, can be entangled with a phenomenological state in which member states, seen as the perlocutors, perceive safety, agency and reassurance. I illustrate two ways in which NATO expresses emotions that could generate ontological security: expressing emotional belonging and positive emotions.