International civil society in international law : the growth of NGO participation.

Abstract

This article analyses the argument that the development of NGO activity in the international arena in the past decade demonstrates the emergence of international civil society. Such activity has accelerated in several areas, notably environment and human rights, and the integration of NGOs into the implementation of international law, particularly of multilateral treaties, indicates a socialisation of international law, and more importantly, the beginnings of pluralism in international law, where states are not the only actors which can influence the progressive development of international law. NGOs are an appropriate focus for this discussion as most aspects of civil society are represented by such bodies.