Attending UN Meetings

7/31/2019 Attending UN Meetings

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The Role of NGOs


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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


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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


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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


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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.


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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.


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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


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NGOs in Intergovernmental

Processes

4 important functions:

Setting agendas

Negotiating outcomes Conferring legitimacy

Implementing solutions


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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


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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.


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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?


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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:


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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.

Documents

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