Non-Governmental Organisations in International Law [Paperback]

The 2006 book explores the possibilities for the participation of NGOs in international law.Even when governments have no democratic basis, they are regarded as the sole representatives of their populations on the international plane and take important decisions on their behalf. It is therefore important that other voices can be heard in international fora alongside governments. NGOs have an increasingly important legal and political role and use several different avenues for their work, such as lodging cases before international courts and other bodies and participating in international meetings and conferences. This book explores these possibilities for the participation of NGOs in international law.Even when governments have no democratic basis, they are regarded as the sole representatives of their populations on the international plane and take important decisions on their behalf. It is therefore important that other voices can be heard in international fora alongside governments. NGOs have an increasingly important legal and political role and use several different avenues for their work, such as lodging cases before international courts and other bodies and participating in international meetings and conferences. This book explores these possibilities for the participation of NGOs in international law.Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play an increasing political role on the international scene, and their position in relation to international law is generally regarded as important but informal. Their actual legal status has not been the subject of much investigation. This book examines the legal status of NGOs in different fields of international law, with emphasis on human rights law. The rights, obligations, locus standi and consultative status of NGOs are explored by means of a thorough examination of international legal rules and practices. .1. The main issues and their context; 2. Historical and conceptual background; 3. International legal theory anlcb