Lecture 16: non state actors Bottom- up: association of national NGOs on international level eg. International Trade union Associations Top-down: a central body with national chapters eg. Transparency International Non- state actors may: · Give voice to excluded groups or individuals · Complement functioning of state · Help administer or build state capacity · Security capacities · Flexible solutions for complex problems · Alleviate resource burdens Non-stare actors interact with states and IOs: · As observers to international organizations · As lobbyists to states and on international meetings · As actors developing and implementing global regulations Advocacy, interest representation and 'resource exchange': · Different ways to do this: eg. Advocacy for international norms, · Media attention, regulation · Research has frequently shown that non-governmental activity can change world politics and its rules The United Nations criteria (ECSOC resolution 1996) for consultative status for NGOs include: · Promoting the objectives of the UN · Working on issues within the ECOSOC competence · Independent from governments · Established headquarters and executive officers · Democratically adopted constitution · Representative of its membership · Mechanisms of accountability Transnational collective (As per Keck and Sikkink (1998): · Change the structure of the field: Agenda-setting role. Give new issues a moral and emotional force. · Reshape alliances among players: Change the way issues are understood. Reframe causes to bring in different actors (businesses, issue groups, IOs etc). · Redefine the rules of the game: Advocacy networks use moral appeal and
access to information to influence how politics is conducted. · Give voice/opportunity to weak players: mobilizing public sentiment, advocating for vulnerable groups, telling personal stories and pressing for moral action The international campaign to ban landmines ICBL established in 1992 by handful of NGOs (currently includes of over 1400 members) Coalition of wide variety of issue groups: humanitarian, children's, arms control, medical, environmental, women's etc. Actions Ratification: Ottawa Process and 'first forty' campaign Universalisation: Media, IOs (UN, OAS), ban should apply in all countries Implementation and Monitoring: Information, reporting and research, national chapters to monitor compliance Advantages ? They have the ability to experiment freely with innovative approaches and, if necessary, to take risks. ? Theyareflexibleinadaptingtolocalsituationsandrespondingtolocal needs and therefore able to develop integrated projects, as well as sectorial projects. ? They enjoy good rapport with people and can render micro-assistance to very poor people as they can identify those who are most in need and tailor assistance to their needs. ? They have the ability to communicate at all levels, from the neighborhood to the top levels of government. ? They are able to recruit both experts and highly motivated staf f with fewer restrictions than the government. Disadvantages ? Paternalistic attitudes restrict the degree of participation in programme/project design. ? Restricted/constrained ways of approach to a problem or area. ? Reduced replicability of an idea, due to non-representativeness of the project or selected area, relatively small project coverage, dependence on outside f i nancial resources, etc. ? "Territorial possessiveness" of an area or project reduces