Sergey Ripinsky (British Institute of International and Comparative Law) & Peter Van den Bossche (Maastricht Univ. - Law) have published NGO Involvement in International Organizations: A Legal Analysis (British Institute of International and Comparative Law 2007). Here's the abstract:In light of the growing influence of NGOs in international decision-making, this book investigates the arrangements for NGO involvement in the activities of a range of international institutions, and examines and compares relevant rules and practices.
The analysis focuses in particular on the legal basis for NGO involvement, forms of involvement, NGO participatory rights, applicable accreditation criteria and procedures, and rules on subsequent monitoring of accredited NGOs. International institutions, each covered in a separate chapter, include: United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC); United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); International Labour Organization (ILO); World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); World Health Organization (WHO); United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); World Bank; and World Trade Organization (WTO). The final chapter provides a comparative analysis of the examined systems. Pertinent documents are reproduced in the appendices.
Offering a systematic presentation of the relevant material, the book is as a timely and valuable resource for NGOs that wish to learn more about opportunities for engagement with prominent international organizations. The study will also be a helpful tool in assessing the relative effectiveness of different modalities for engagement with NGOs and in considering improvements to the existing systems.
