The Evolving Role of NGOs in Governance
14 Pages Posted: 30 Jul 2010
Date Written: July 28, 2010
Abstract
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have long played an important role in forcing policymakers to act on issues of public concern. Their activities have grown steadily and today they address every conceivable issue and they operate in virtually every part of the globe. Although there may be no universal agreement on what NGOs are exactly, there is widespread agreement that their numbers, influence, and reach are at unprecedented levels. This paper outlines the rapidly evolving roles of international NGOs during the past two decades. As NGOs have long interacted with governments, intergovernmental institutions and the corporate sector on public policy issues, the analysis of the role of this diverse group of actors provides us with a useful angle to understand the transformations that are taking place in the way multilateral cooperation is conducted, as well as the implications for transnational problem-solving in general.
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