Examining the (Non-)Status of NGOs in International Law

Abstract

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are increasingly influential players on the international scene. Since the end of the Cold War, NGOs have enjoyed increasingly easy access to, and better possibilities to affect, political processes taking place above the national level. In fact, the increasing intensity of their activities over the last decade demonstrates that they have become an integral part of the procedures and structures of global governance. Most visibly, the recent protests of anti-globalization activists in Seattle, Gothenburg, Porto Alegre, Davos, Genoa, and many other locations demonstrated the potential of NGOs to influence the proceedings of international negotiations. These protests also clearly revealed NGOs’ capacity for mobilizing and networking across borders and in a short period of time. But NGOs are not always opponents to governmental institutions and do not always challenge their policies. Rather, they are often directly involved in the design of policies and may shape political processes from inside the official arenas. For example, at the United Nations, NGOs are significantly involved in the activities and performances of the intergovernmental organizations (IGOs).