Institutionalizing societal activism within global governance structures: Amnesty International and the United Nations s
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nce the 1990s, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have increasingly participated within the forums of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). Whereas most studies have focused on demonstrating that NGOs shape the processes and programmes of IGOs, little research has been conducted to examine how they accomplish this. Applying social movement theory, I develop an approach for examining NGO institutionalization within structures of global governance as provided by IGOs. This angle emphasizes the professionalization of NGOs on one hand and the formalization of regulations with intergovernmental institutions on the other as the factors explaining changes in their pattern of activities as regards IGOs. In the empirical part, the theoretical propositions are evaluated in relation to one of the most prominent and active NGOs in the United Nations (UN) context: Amnesty International. The paper is based on semi-structured expert interviews held with NGO representatives to the UN. Journal of International Relations and Development (2006) 9, 371–395. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jird.1800104 Keywords: Amnesty International; institutionalism; NGOs; professionalization; social movements; United Nations
Introduction Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)1 have become an integral part of the United Nations (UN) system over the course of the last decade. Since their participation at a series of world conferences in the early 1990s, they have been increasingly recognized as significant actors in the international sphere. The UN has gradually integrated NGOs into many of its processes and procedures. Today, NGOs regularly collaborate with the UN in agenda-setting activities and advise its commissions and committees. Moreover, they also assist UN institutions during drafting processes and provide them with information on issues of their concern. NGOs even work in co-operation with operational UN agencies and implement projects together. The Cardoso report, released in Journal of International Relations and Development, 2006, 9, (371–395) r 2006 Palgrave Macmillan Ltd 1408-6980/06 $30.00
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Journal of International Relations and Development Volume 9, Number 4, 2006
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2004, favoured new guidelines and practices that affect NGO access to and participation in UN processes and provides the basis for current discussions about reforming the UN system for NGO activities (UN Doc. A/58/817). If NGOs are now closely integrated into intergovernmental forums such as the UN, in what way does that affect their capacities for policy-making in the international sphere? Most of the existing literature aims to demonstrate that NGOs have significant options to exercise an influence on the policies and programmes of the UN; this article looks at the NGO/UN relationship from a different perspective and investigates how NGOs take advantage of such opportunities to interact with the UN.2 It thus seeks to examine in what way NGOs work in and through the UN system today and how they have adapted their patterns of activity with the in
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