An international non-governmental organization (INGO) is an organization which is independent of government involvement and extends the concept of a non-governmental organization (NGO) to an international scope. INGOs can admit members affiliated to government authorities as long as it does not interfere with their freedom to express themselves. INGOs operate under the principles of neutrality, humanity, impartiality, and independence. Around the world, there are about 75,000 international organizations and about 42,000 of them are active.
NGOs are independent of governments and can be seen as two types: advocacy NGOs, which aim to influence governments with a specific goal, and operational NGOs, which provide services. Examples of NGO mandates are environmental preservation, human rights promotions or the advancement of women. NGOs are typically not-for-profit, but receive funding from companies or membership fees. Many large INGOs have components of operational projects and advocacy initiatives working together within individual countries.
Intergovernmental organizations such as International Labour Organization (ILO) and United Nations are formed when sovereign states form treaties but INGOs are not bound by state treaties when operating internationally.
INGOs can either be private philanthropic organizations such as Carnegie, Rockefeller, Gates, and Ford Foundations or as arms of existing international institutions like the Catholic Church. After World War II, INGOs began to increase due to the need for economic development or humanitarian needs. Such INGOs include SOS Children's Villages, Oxfam, Catholic Relief Services, Care International, and Lutheran World Relief. However, the influence of INGOs started to extended heavily in the 1980s.
Except for incorporation under national laws, no current formal legal status exists for INGOs, which can lead to complications in international law.[dubious – discuss] INGOs have been trying to get a legal status under the international law. They have not legal personality and therefore, no formal rights. INGOs must then operate under state laws even though they still have to follow the principles of independence and neutrality. China for instance, only allows foreign NGOs that have Chinese sponsor organizations and the government has the power to close and examine their offices and question their staff.
History
International non-governmental organizations emerged as a result of the need for humanitarian aid as global problems increased after World Wars. No single government could solve these problems leading to the formation of INGOs. Governments began offering greater support to private, international organizations, and NGOs in the 1980s as a way of allowing more time and resources to be spent on national projects. Often, a humanitarian aid organization would clash with a government's approach to tackle a situation. In such cases, INGOs have sought out autonomy to extend help regardless of political or ethnic affiliation.
In 1910, the Union of International Associations (UIA) were the first to suggest that a "super-national" status be given to international organizations with diplomatic intentions without governmental influence. The International Law Association (ILA) modified this, adding that this "super-national" organizational status may be adopted for associations formed for no profit. One of the oldest organization to be referred to an INGO is Save the Children-UK that was founded in 1919. Since then, INGOs have been operating under their founding principles to provide different community welfare models.
Activities
The main focus of INGOs is to provide relief and developmental aid to communities that are in crisis. These programs include health-related projects such as HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and treatment, clean water, and malaria prevention. INGO roles extend to education-related projects such as ensuring equitable education for all genders and providing books. Overall, INGOs help to provide the social services that governments do not provide. International non-governmental organizations are some of the first responders to natural disasters, like hurricanes and floods, or crises that need emergency relief such as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Other organizations, like the International Justice Mission, are working to make judicial systems more effective and legitimate. Other INGOs promote micro-finance and education which directly impact citizens and communities by developing skills and human capital while encouraging citizen empowerment and community involvement.
NGOs, in general, account for over 15% of total international development aid, which is linked to economic development. As of 2007, aid (partly contributed to by INGOs) over the past thirty years is estimated to have increased the annual growth rate of the bottom billion by one percent.
Criticisms
Given they are usually supported by donations, a popular concern about INGOs is where the money goes and whether it is spent efficiently. High administrative costs can be an indication of inefficiency, enrichment of employees at the expense of beneficiaries, embezzlement or misdirection of funds to corrupt local officials or dictatorship. Numerous attempts have been made to remedy the accountability of INGOs surrounding where and for what their money is being used. Websites like Charity Navigator and GiveWell attempt to provide transparency as to how much goes to administrative costs, what activities money is spent on, whether more donations would be helpful, and how cost-effective the activities are compared to other charities or potential activities.
Moreover, multiple organizations often exist to solve the same problem. Rather than collaborating to address a given situation, organizations frequently interact as competitors, which creates bottlenecks of treatment and supplies. Conflicts typically require organizations to quickly provide aid to regions with conflict. As such, ensuring immediate and future care quality is paramount. To this point, INGOs must prepare regions for when they leave by providing the tools and guidance necessary to support their citizens. More research must be done on the impacts of INGO support from the perspective of the recipient country or region, as much of currently published research has been completed from the lens of a Westernized donor or INGO.
Another criticism is that many of the people benefiting from INGOs have no way to influence those activities and hold the organizations accountable. (for example by threatening to withhold donations). Some charitable organizations solicit the participation of local communities to avoid problems related to intercultural competence, and avoid unintended consequences due to lack of buy-in or lack of knowledge about local conditions. Some INGOs have been accused of lack of partnership with local organizations since they have all the funding and they do not credit these local institutions and often do not give them equal respect. Additionally, INGOs often require/expect their partners to follow a Western model which can be incompatible with local community needs.
In March 2015, the European Journal of International Relations criticized the impact of INGOs on government decision-making, claiming they are slowing integration of developing countries into the global economy.
Notable international NGOs
Multiple interdisciplinary projects
- ActionAid
- ACTED
- ADRA
- AIESEC
- CAFOD
- CARE
- CRS
- Cuso International
- Danish Refugee Council
- Islamic Relief
- International Olympic Committee
- Mercy Corps
- Oxfam
- Save the Children
- SOS Children's Villages
- Tzu Chi Foundation
- World Vision International
- Plan International
- Eastern Caribbean-Southeast Asia Chamber
Research
- ResearchX
Economics
- International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA)
- International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Health
- Amref Health Africa
- Doctors Without Borders
- GAVI
- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Children and youth
- Compassion International
- International Federation of Catholic Parochial Youth Movements (FIMCAP)
- Plan
- Reggio Children Foundation
- Save the Children International
- SOS Children's Villages
- Terre des hommes
- World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS)
- World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM)
- World Vision International
- AIESEC
- Justice Call
- UNOY
Education
- European Association of History Educators
- Junior Achievement
- The Library Project
- OpenmindProjects- INGO
Human rights
- International Rescue Committee
- Human Rights Watch
- Human Rights Foundation
- Amnesty International
- Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
- Friends of Peoples Close to Nature
- Humanists International
- International Christian Concern
- International Commission against the Death Penalty
- International Federation for Human Rights
- Protection International
- Survival International
Environmental
- Greenpeace
- International POPs Elimination Network
- International Union for Conservation of Nature
- World Wide Fund for Nature
Water, sanitation, and hygiene
- WaterAid
- Water.org
- Initiative: Eau
- Water for People
Multilateralism
- Sister Cities International
- World Federation of United Nations Associations
Religion
- International Federation of Catholic Parochial Youth Movements (FIMCAP)
- Lutheran World Relief
Space and technology
- COSPAR
- RIPE NCC
- IMIRAD
See also
- European Convention on the Recognition of the Legal Personality of International Non-Governmental Organizations
- Foundation (non-profit)
- International Non-Governmental Organisations Accountability Charter
- Nonprofit organization
- Think tank
- World Polity Theory
References
- "The Yearbook of International Organizations | Union of International Associations". uia.org. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- Impactpool. "The roles of INGOs during Emergency Response - What happens?". www.impactpool.org. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- "The Yearbook of International Organizations | Union of International Associations". uia.org. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- IGO-NGO Cooperation." .https://guides.library.duke.edu/c.php?g=289595&p=1930435 (accessed February 19, 2020).
- Goode, Walter, ed. (2007). Dictionary of trade policy terms. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521885065.
- "International NGOs". Commonwealth of Nations. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- "Domestic Restrictions on Non-Governmental Organizations and Potential Protections through Legal Personality: Time for a Change? | Chicago Journal of International Law". cjil.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- "Domestic Restrictions on Non-Governmental Organizations and Potential Protections through Legal Personality: Time for a Change? | Chicago Journal of International Law". cjil.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- Buse, Kent; Tanaka, Sonja (2011-08-01). "Global Public-Private Health Partnerships: lessons learned from ten years of experience and evaluation". International Dental Journal. Live.Learn.Laugh. A Unique Global Public-Private Partnership to Improve Oral Health. 61 (Suppl 2): 2–10. doi:10.1111/j.1875-595X.2011.00034.x. ISSN 0020-6539. PMC 9374971. PMID 21770935.
- Buse, Kent; Tanaka, Sonja (2011-08-01). "Global Public-Private Health Partnerships: lessons learned from ten years of experience and evaluation". International Dental Journal. Live.Learn.Laugh. A Unique Global Public-Private Partnership to Improve Oral Health. 61 (Suppl 2): 2–10. doi:10.1111/j.1875-595X.2011.00034.x. ISSN 0020-6539. PMC 9374971. PMID 21770935.
- Ben-Ari, Rephael Harel (2013). The Legal Status of International Non-Governmental Organizations: Analysis of Past and Present Initiatives (1912-2012). Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. ISBN 9789004254367.
- Commins, Stephen (2010), "INGOs", in Anheier, Helmut K.; Toepler, Stefan (eds.), International Encyclopedia of Civil Society, New York, NY: Springer US, pp. 858–864, doi:10.1007/978-0-387-93996-4_556, ISBN 978-0-387-93996-4, retrieved 2024-11-20
- "International Justice Mission | End Modern Slavery for Good". IJM USA. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- "World Bank and NGOs." October 3, 2007.http://library.duke.edu/research/subject/guides/ngo_guide/igo_ngo_coop/ngo_wb.html[dead link] (accessed November 10, 2010).
- Collier, Paul. 2007. The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. (p.100).
- Lorenz, Nicolaus (2007-07-01). "Effectiveness of global health partnerships: will the past repeat itself?". Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 85 (7): 567–568. doi:10.2471/BLT.06.033597 (inactive 5 December 2024). PMC 2636373. PMID 17768507.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of December 2024 (link) - Collingwood, Vivien; Logister, Louis (April 2005). "State of the Art: Addressing the INGO 'Legitimacy Deficit'". Political Studies Review. 3 (2): 175–192. doi:10.1111/j.1478-9299.2005.00022.x.
- Crack, Angela M. (2013-04-01). "INGO Accountability Deficits: The Imperatives for Further Reform". Globalizations. 10 (2): 293–308. doi:10.1080/14747731.2013.786253. ISSN 1474-7731.
- Hunt, Matthew; Miao, Jingru (April 2017). "Moral Entanglement and the Ethics of Closing Humanitarian Medical Aid Projects". Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 32 (S1): S47 – S48. doi:10.1017/S1049023X17001376. ISSN 1049-023X.
- Fourie, Carina (2018-05-15). "The trouble with inequalities in global health partnerships". Medicine Anthropology Theory. 5 (2). doi:10.17157/mat.5.2.525. ISSN 2405-691X.
- Jammihal, Ravindra; Ralte, Harry; Roy, Nobhojit (February 2009). "Humanitarian Medical Aid to Developing Nations: A Recipient Country's Perspective". Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 24 (S1).
- Ebrahim, A.: 2003, 'Accountability in Practice: Mechanisms for NGOs', World Development 31(5), 813-829.
- D’Arcy, Michelle (2019-05-22). "When international NGOs try to "help" local ones and fail". African Arguments. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- D’Arcy, Michelle (2019-05-22). "When international NGOs try to "help" local ones and fail". African Arguments. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- Lewis, David; Themudo, Nuno (2020). "Non-governmental organizations and development". Routledge.
Further reading
- Atack Iain 1998. "Four Criteria of Development NGO Legitimacy", in World Development 27(5), pp. 855–864.
- Collier, Paul 2007. "Aid to the Rescue?", in The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It, pp. 99–123. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
- Haugen, Gary; Boutros, Victor (2010). "And Justice for All: Enforcing Human Rights for the World's Poor". Foreign Affairs. 89 (3): 51–62.
- Singer, Peter 2009. "How Can You Tell Which Charities Do It Best?", in The Life You Can Save, pp. 82–125. New York: Random House.
An international non governmental organization INGO is an organization which is independent of government involvement and extends the concept of a non governmental organization NGO to an international scope INGOs can admit members affiliated to government authorities as long as it does not interfere with their freedom to express themselves INGOs operate under the principles of neutrality humanity impartiality and independence Around the world there are about 75 000 international organizations and about 42 000 of them are active NGOs are independent of governments and can be seen as two types advocacy NGOs which aim to influence governments with a specific goal and operational NGOs which provide services Examples of NGO mandates are environmental preservation human rights promotions or the advancement of women NGOs are typically not for profit but receive funding from companies or membership fees Many large INGOs have components of operational projects and advocacy initiatives working together within individual countries Intergovernmental organizations such as International Labour Organization ILO and United Nations are formed when sovereign states form treaties but INGOs are not bound by state treaties when operating internationally INGOs can either be private philanthropic organizations such as Carnegie Rockefeller Gates and Ford Foundations or as arms of existing international institutions like the Catholic Church After World War II INGOs began to increase due to the need for economic development or humanitarian needs Such INGOs include SOS Children s Villages Oxfam Catholic Relief Services Care International and Lutheran World Relief However the influence of INGOs started to extended heavily in the 1980s Except for incorporation under national laws no current formal legal status exists for INGOs which can lead to complications in international law dubious discuss INGOs have been trying to get a legal status under the international law They have not legal personality and therefore no formal rights INGOs must then operate under state laws even though they still have to follow the principles of independence and neutrality China for instance only allows foreign NGOs that have Chinese sponsor organizations and the government has the power to close and examine their offices and question their staff HistoryInternational non governmental organizations emerged as a result of the need for humanitarian aid as global problems increased after World Wars No single government could solve these problems leading to the formation of INGOs Governments began offering greater support to private international organizations and NGOs in the 1980s as a way of allowing more time and resources to be spent on national projects Often a humanitarian aid organization would clash with a government s approach to tackle a situation In such cases INGOs have sought out autonomy to extend help regardless of political or ethnic affiliation In 1910 the Union of International Associations UIA were the first to suggest that a super national status be given to international organizations with diplomatic intentions without governmental influence The International Law Association ILA modified this adding that this super national organizational status may be adopted for associations formed for no profit One of the oldest organization to be referred to an INGO is Save the Children UK that was founded in 1919 Since then INGOs have been operating under their founding principles to provide different community welfare models ActivitiesThe main focus of INGOs is to provide relief and developmental aid to communities that are in crisis These programs include health related projects such as HIV AIDS awareness prevention and treatment clean water and malaria prevention INGO roles extend to education related projects such as ensuring equitable education for all genders and providing books Overall INGOs help to provide the social services that governments do not provide International non governmental organizations are some of the first responders to natural disasters like hurricanes and floods or crises that need emergency relief such as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Other organizations like the International Justice Mission are working to make judicial systems more effective and legitimate Other INGOs promote micro finance and education which directly impact citizens and communities by developing skills and human capital while encouraging citizen empowerment and community involvement NGOs in general account for over 15 of total international development aid which is linked to economic development As of 2007 aid partly contributed to by INGOs over the past thirty years is estimated to have increased the annual growth rate of the bottom billion by one percent CriticismsGiven they are usually supported by donations a popular concern about INGOs is where the money goes and whether it is spent efficiently High administrative costs can be an indication of inefficiency enrichment of employees at the expense of beneficiaries embezzlement or misdirection of funds to corrupt local officials or dictatorship Numerous attempts have been made to remedy the accountability of INGOs surrounding where and for what their money is being used Websites like Charity Navigator and GiveWell attempt to provide transparency as to how much goes to administrative costs what activities money is spent on whether more donations would be helpful and how cost effective the activities are compared to other charities or potential activities Moreover multiple organizations often exist to solve the same problem Rather than collaborating to address a given situation organizations frequently interact as competitors which creates bottlenecks of treatment and supplies Conflicts typically require organizations to quickly provide aid to regions with conflict As such ensuring immediate and future care quality is paramount To this point INGOs must prepare regions for when they leave by providing the tools and guidance necessary to support their citizens More research must be done on the impacts of INGO support from the perspective of the recipient country or region as much of currently published research has been completed from the lens of a Westernized donor or INGO Another criticism is that many of the people benefiting from INGOs have no way to influence those activities and hold the organizations accountable for example by threatening to withhold donations Some charitable organizations solicit the participation of local communities to avoid problems related to intercultural competence and avoid unintended consequences due to lack of buy in or lack of knowledge about local conditions Some INGOs have been accused of lack of partnership with local organizations since they have all the funding and they do not credit these local institutions and often do not give them equal respect Additionally INGOs often require expect their partners to follow a Western model which can be incompatible with local community needs In March 2015 the European Journal of International Relations criticized the impact of INGOs on government decision making claiming they are slowing integration of developing countries into the global economy Notable international NGOsMultiple interdisciplinary projects ActionAid ACTED ADRA AIESEC CAFOD CARE CRS Cuso International Danish Refugee Council Islamic Relief International Olympic Committee Mercy Corps Oxfam Save the Children SOS Children s Villages Tzu Chi Foundation World Vision International Plan International Eastern Caribbean Southeast Asia ChamberResearch ResearchXEconomics International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations FIATA International Air Transport Association IATA Health Amref Health Africa Doctors Without Borders GAVI The Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and MalariaChildren and youth Compassion International International Federation of Catholic Parochial Youth Movements FIMCAP Plan Reggio Children Foundation Save the Children International SOS Children s Villages Terre des hommes World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts WAGGGS World Organization of the Scout Movement WOSM World Vision International AIESEC Justice Call UNOYEducation European Association of History Educators Junior Achievement The Library Project OpenmindProjects INGOHuman rights International Rescue Committee Human Rights Watch Human Rights Foundation Amnesty International Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative Friends of Peoples Close to Nature Humanists International International Christian Concern International Commission against the Death Penalty International Federation for Human Rights Protection International Survival InternationalEnvironmental Greenpeace International POPs Elimination Network International Union for Conservation of Nature World Wide Fund for NatureWater sanitation and hygiene WaterAid Water org Initiative Eau Water for PeopleMultilateralism Sister Cities International World Federation of United Nations AssociationsReligion International Federation of Catholic Parochial Youth Movements FIMCAP Lutheran World ReliefSpace and technology COSPAR RIPE NCC IMIRADSee alsoEuropean Convention on the Recognition of the Legal Personality of International Non Governmental Organizations Foundation non profit International Non Governmental Organisations Accountability Charter Nonprofit organization Think tank World Polity TheoryReferences The Yearbook of International Organizations Union of International Associations uia org Retrieved 2024 10 23 Impactpool The roles of INGOs during Emergency Response What happens www impactpool org Retrieved 2024 11 29 The Yearbook of International Organizations Union of International Associations uia org Retrieved 2024 10 23 IGO NGO Cooperation https guides library duke edu c php g 289595 amp p 1930435 accessed February 19 2020 Goode Walter ed 2007 Dictionary of trade policy terms Cambridge University Press ISBN 9780521885065 International NGOs Commonwealth of Nations Retrieved 2024 11 20 Domestic Restrictions on Non Governmental Organizations and Potential Protections through Legal Personality Time for a Change Chicago Journal of International Law cjil uchicago edu Retrieved 2024 11 20 Domestic Restrictions on Non Governmental Organizations and Potential Protections through Legal Personality Time for a Change Chicago Journal of International Law cjil uchicago edu Retrieved 2024 11 20 Buse Kent Tanaka Sonja 2011 08 01 Global Public Private Health Partnerships lessons learned from ten years of experience and evaluation International Dental Journal Live Learn Laugh A Unique Global Public Private Partnership to Improve Oral Health 61 Suppl 2 2 10 doi 10 1111 j 1875 595X 2011 00034 x ISSN 0020 6539 PMC 9374971 PMID 21770935 Buse Kent Tanaka Sonja 2011 08 01 Global Public Private Health Partnerships lessons learned from ten years of experience and evaluation International Dental Journal Live Learn Laugh A Unique Global Public Private Partnership to Improve Oral Health 61 Suppl 2 2 10 doi 10 1111 j 1875 595X 2011 00034 x ISSN 0020 6539 PMC 9374971 PMID 21770935 Ben Ari Rephael Harel 2013 The Legal Status of International Non Governmental Organizations Analysis of Past and Present Initiatives 1912 2012 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers ISBN 9789004254367 Commins Stephen 2010 INGOs in Anheier Helmut K Toepler Stefan eds International Encyclopedia of Civil Society New York NY Springer US pp 858 864 doi 10 1007 978 0 387 93996 4 556 ISBN 978 0 387 93996 4 retrieved 2024 11 20 International Justice Mission End Modern Slavery for Good IJM USA Retrieved 2024 11 29 World Bank and NGOs October 3 2007 http library duke edu research subject guides ngo guide igo ngo coop ngo wb html dead link accessed November 10 2010 Collier Paul 2007 The Bottom Billion Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It Oxford and New York Oxford University Press p 100 Lorenz Nicolaus 2007 07 01 Effectiveness of global health partnerships will the past repeat itself Bulletin of the World Health Organization 85 7 567 568 doi 10 2471 BLT 06 033597 inactive 5 December 2024 PMC 2636373 PMID 17768507 a href wiki Template Cite journal title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint DOI inactive as of December 2024 link Collingwood Vivien Logister Louis April 2005 State of the Art Addressing the INGO Legitimacy Deficit Political Studies Review 3 2 175 192 doi 10 1111 j 1478 9299 2005 00022 x Crack Angela M 2013 04 01 INGO Accountability Deficits The Imperatives for Further Reform Globalizations 10 2 293 308 doi 10 1080 14747731 2013 786253 ISSN 1474 7731 Hunt Matthew Miao Jingru April 2017 Moral Entanglement and the Ethics of Closing Humanitarian Medical Aid Projects Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 32 S1 S47 S48 doi 10 1017 S1049023X17001376 ISSN 1049 023X Fourie Carina 2018 05 15 The trouble with inequalities in global health partnerships Medicine Anthropology Theory 5 2 doi 10 17157 mat 5 2 525 ISSN 2405 691X Jammihal Ravindra Ralte Harry Roy Nobhojit February 2009 Humanitarian Medical Aid to Developing Nations A Recipient Country s Perspective Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 24 S1 Ebrahim A 2003 Accountability in Practice Mechanisms for NGOs World Development 31 5 813 829 D Arcy Michelle 2019 05 22 When international NGOs try to help local ones and fail African Arguments Retrieved 2024 11 29 D Arcy Michelle 2019 05 22 When international NGOs try to help local ones and fail African Arguments Retrieved 2024 11 29 Lewis David Themudo Nuno 2020 Non governmental organizations and development Routledge Further readingAtack Iain 1998 Four Criteria of Development NGO Legitimacy in World Development 27 5 pp 855 864 Collier Paul 2007 Aid to the Rescue in The Bottom Billion Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It pp 99 123 Oxford and New York Oxford University Press Haugen Gary Boutros Victor 2010 And Justice for All Enforcing Human Rights for the World s Poor Foreign Affairs 89 3 51 62 Singer Peter 2009 How Can You Tell Which Charities Do It Best in The Life You Can Save pp 82 125 New York Random House
