ABSTRACT
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are among the most prominent features of contemporary international life. Some of the best-known international actors on the world stage are NGOs, with organizations such as Amnesty International, CARE, and Greenpeace being household names in many countries. NGOs are generally understood to wield considerable normative power, such as by advancing human rights protection around the world, and by helping to bring about international agreements including the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Some NGOs – such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which has over $50 billion assets (KPMG 2018, 2) – also wield considerable economic muscle, and up to two thirds of emergency relief funds may be channelled through NGOs (Development Initiatives 2018, 48).
