7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
1/16
The Role of NGOs
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
2/16
In this Session
Learn how NGOs participate in theintergovernmental arena, including thenegotiation of MEAs. Consider the value of
NGO roles.
Defining NGOs
NGOs at the UN and in MEAs
Defining Objectives: different NGO roles innegotiations
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
3/16
Defining Non-Governmental
Organisations
How do you describe an NGO? One survey found 48 differentterms and acronyms. Here is a sample:
In short, there is no agreed terminology for describing the NGO sector.
In some ways, it is easier to describe what NGOs are not, rather than what they are.It is generally agreed that NGOs are not:
part of government, or
organized primarily for private profit.
BINGOs Big International NGOs
BONGOs Business Organized NGOs
CBOs Community Based Organizations
CSOs Civil Society Organizations
ENGOs Environmental NGOs
GONGOs Government Organized NGOs
IPOs Indigenous Peoples Organizations
GROs Grassroots Organizations
GSCOs Global Social Change
Organizations
NPOs Nonprofit Organizations
VOs Voluntary Organizations
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
4/16
Defining NGOs: What the UN Says
From the UN Department of PublicInformation: NGO refers to a non-profitcitizens voluntary entity organized nationally orinternationally. Thus, professional associations,foundations, trade unions, religiousorganisations, womens and youth groups,cooperative associations, development and
human rights associations, environmentalprotection groups, research institutes dealingwith international affairs and associations ofparliamentarians are considered NGOs.
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
5/16
Defining NGOs: What the UN Says
From the Report of the Panel of Eminent Persons onUnited NationsCivil Society Relations:Non-governmentalorganization (NGO). All organizations of relevance to the UnitedNations that are not central Governments and were not createdby intergovernmental decision, including associations ofbusinesses, parliamentarians and local authorities. There isconsiderable confusion surrounding this term in United Nationscircles. Elsewhere, NGO has become shorthand for public-benefit NGOsa type of civil society organization that isformally constituted to provide a benefit to the general public orthe world at large through the provision of advocacy or services.
They include organizations devoted to environment,development, human rights and peace and their internationalnetworks. They may or may not be membership-based. TheCharter of the United Nations provides for consultations withNGOs.
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
6/16
NGOs, civil society, or major
groups?
The Panel described civil society in the following way: the associations of citizens (outside their families,
friends and businesses) entered into voluntarily toadvance their interests, ideas and ideologies. The term
does not include profit-making activity (the privatesector) or governing (the public sector). Of particularrelevance to the United Nations are mass organizations(such as organizations of peasants, women or retiredpeople), trade unions, professional associations, socialmovements, indigenous peoples organizations,religious and spiritual organizations, academe andpublic benefit non-governmental organizations.
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
7/16
NGOs, civil society, or major
groups?
Major Groups is a termthat was introduced in
Agenda 21, agreed by
governments at the RioEarth Summit. Itdescribes nine sectors ofsociety identified as
having a significant rolein sustainabledevelopment:
women
children and youth
indigenous people
NGOs Local authorities
Workers and trade unions
business and industry
the scientific andtechnical community
farmers
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
8/16
Stakeholders: Yet another term!
Stakeholders:
Those who have an interest in a particulardecision, either as individuals or representativesof a group. This includes people who influencea decision, or can influence it, as well as thoseaffected by it.
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
9/16
NGOs at the UN
Ten years ago there was little talk of civil society in the
corridors of power, but now the walls reverberate with at
least the rhetoric of partnership, participation, and the
role of citizens groups in promoting sustainable
development
The number of NGOs who are active at the UN
has grown rapidly, especially since the 1990s.
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
10/16
NGOs at the UN
NGOs in Consultative Status with ECOSOC
40180
744784
10411184
1505
19382050
21512234
2613
886
2379
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Year
NGO
sinConsultativeSta
tus
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
11/16
NGOs in Intergovernmental
Processes
4 important functions:
Setting agendas
Negotiating outcomes Conferring legitimacy
Implementing solutions
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
12/16
Role of NGOs in MEAs
Enhancing the knowledge base
Advocacy and lobbying
Membership in national delegations
Contribution to compliance review and enforcement aswell as dispute settlement procedures
Ensuring transparency
Supporting international secretariats Broader functions of NGOs in international
environmental governance
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
13/16
UNEPs approach to CS
Service-deliveryorganizations that develop, monitor andimplement projects/programmes or services; these CSOs are oftenbased at the grassroots level or work closely with community-basedorganizations (CBOs).Representationorganizations that aggregate citizen voices; these
include CSO umbrella and network organizations and indigenouspeoples groups.
Advocacy and policy inputsorganizations that provide expertiseand lobby on particular issues; these include think-tanks, research-oriented institutions and watchdog institutions.
Capacity buildingorganizations that provide support to other
CSOs, including funding, training and raising awareness; theseinstitutions include foundations and major NGOs.Social functionsorganizations that foster collective social activities,including religious groups.
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
14/16
Considering the role of NGOs
[A] NGOs are
tugboats ininternational
channels.
[B] socialmovements take
an unlikely idea,
make it seem
feasible, and then
put it into
practice.
[C] civil society is not just a
resting place for social
movements on their way to thestate. It is meaningful and
sometimes crucial as a site of
political action in its own right .
[D] the rise of the global
idiots any group with a
fax machine and a modem
has the potential to distort
public debate .
The following quotes suggest some different opinions of the role of NGOs. What doyou think?
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
15/16
In Summary
Terminology around NGOs varies. They are defined by the UNas non-profit citizens voluntary entities organized nationally orinternationally.
A range of other terms are used almost interchangeably,
particularly stakeholders, civil society and major groups. NGOs have been involved in the UN since its inception; the rate
of involvement has grown exponentially. Different agencies ofthe UN have their own accreditation arrangements (see ModuleSeven).
NGOs bring knowledge and information, new issues and expertadvice to intergovernmental negotiations and can play differentroles, including:
7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings
16/16
In Summary
Setting agendas
Negotiating outcomes (by proposing alternativelanguage and solutions)
Conferring legitimacy
Implementing solutions
Sometimes, a choice has to be made about
working inside or outside official processes.Both have pros and cons, and the decisionneeds to be taken carefully.
Top Related