A Government Monopoly No More

Others have entered the field of international policymaking

The Bertelsmann Foundation and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) partnered to host a "Towards a More Effective Division of Labor: The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Global Governance", a workshop held in Washington, DC on 28 April. The event brought together experts in democratization to look at the growing role of civil-society organizations (CSOs) in international politics, their contributions to solving global challenges and democratizing international institutions, and ways to make their contributions more effective.

New forms of governance beyond the nation-state have emerged in this era of globalization. No longer is governance limited to inter-governmental cooperation, multilateral agreements and international organizations. In the twenty-first century, non-state actors are increasingly taking a role in formulating policy. In particular, CSOs have become global players: Non-governmental-organizations (NGOs) and philanthropic foundations are already an integral part of the global governance, and their influence is likely to grow in the future.

Against this background, the workshop explored the multiple roles and potential of CSOs in shaping global governance through agenda-setting, the negotiation of norms and agreements, and through monitoring and implementation of transnational policies. Participants placed a special emphasis on the roles of CSOs in influencing international- security, peace and humanitarian issues. They also discussed policy recommendations for strengthening the capacity of CSOs to be active in the international arena.

The conclusions of the workshop will be published in the fall.