NGOs in the United Nations system: evaluating theoretical approaches

The paper examines the relationship between non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the United Nations. It starts from the observation that interaction between both actors has significantly increased over the course of the 1990s. Today, NGOs are involved in all stages of political processes within the UN, influencing decision-making and policy implementation from the inside. The paper argues that these intensified relations have, however, only been partially understood in the social sciences. This is due to theoretical frameworks which only focus on NGO impact on the UN. The article, instead, favours a corporatist approach which better fits the realities of NGO|UN relations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.