International non-governmental organization

Last updated May 24, 2024

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.

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.^[1] 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.^[2] Many large INGOs have components of operational projects and advocacy initiatives working together within individual countries.

The technical term "international organizations" describes intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and includes groups such as the United Nations or the International Labour Organization, which are formed by treaties among sovereign states.^[3] In contrast, INGOs are defined as "any internationally operating organization which is not established by inter-governmental agreement".^[4]

An INGO may be founded by private philanthropy, such as the Carnegie, Rockefeller, Gates and Ford Foundations, or as an adjunct to existing international organizations, such as the Catholic or Lutheran churches. A surge in INGOs for economic development occurred during World War II, some of which would later become large organizations like SOS Children's Villages, Oxfam, Catholic Relief Services, Care International and Lutheran World Relief. The number of INGOs grew from 6,000 in 1990 to 26,000 in 1999, and a 2013 report estimated about 40,000.^[5]

Except for incorporation under national laws, no current formal legal status exists for INGOs, which can lead to complications in international law.^[5]^{[ dubious – discuss ]}

History

International non-governmental organizations emerged alongside humanitarian aid with the realization that no single government could single-handedly solve global crises.^[6] 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.^[6] Often, a humanitarian aid organization would clash with a government's approach to the unfolding domestic conflict. In such cases, INGOs have sought out autonomy to extend help regardless of political or ethnic affiliation.^[6]

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.^[5] The International Law Association (ILA) modified this, adding that this "super-national" organizational status may be adopted for associations formed for no profit.^[5]

Activities

The main focus of INGOs is to provide relief and developmental aid to developing countries. Health-related projects such as HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and treatment, clean water, and malaria prevention—and education-related projects such as schools for girls and providing books—help to provide the social services that the country's government does 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. Other organizations, like the International Justice Mission, are working to make judicial systems more effective and legitimate. Still others, such as those promoting micro-finance and education, 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.^[7] 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.^[8]

Criticisms

Given they are usually supported by donations, a popular concern about INGOs is where the money goes and whether it is spent efficiently.^[9] 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.^[10] Numerous attempts have been made to remedy the accountability of INGOs surrounding where and for what their money is being used.^[11] 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.^[12] Conflicts typically require organizations to quickly provide aid to regions with conflict. As such, ensuring immediate and future care quality is paramount.^[6] To this point, INGOs must prepare regions for when they leave by providing the tools and guidance necessary to support their citizens.^[13] 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.^[14]

Another criticism is that many of the people benefiting from INGOs have no way to influence those activities and hold the organizations accountable.^[15] (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.

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.^[16]

Notable international NGOs

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Related Research Articles

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in humanitarianism or the social sciences; they can also include clubs and associations that provide services to their members and others. NGOs can also be lobby groups for corporations, such as the World Economic Forum. NGOs are distinguished from international and intergovernmental organizations (IOs) in that the latter are more directly involved with sovereign states and their governments.

CARE is a major international humanitarian agency delivering emergency relief and long-term international development projects. Founded in 1945, CARE is nonsectarian, impartial, and non-governmental. It is one of the largest and oldest humanitarian aid organizations focused on fighting global poverty. In 2019, CARE reported working in 104 countries, supporting 1,349 poverty-fighting projects and humanitarian aid projects, and reaching over 92.3 million people directly and 433.3 million people indirectly.

Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance, usually in the short-term, to people in need. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and victims of natural disasters, wars, and famines. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity.

ActionAid is an international non-governmental organization whose stated primary aim is to work against poverty and injustice worldwide.

A humanitarian crisis is defined as a singular event or a series of events that are threatening in terms of health, safety or well-being of a community or large group of people. It may be an internal or external conflict and usually occurs throughout a large land area. Local, national and international responses are necessary in such events.

Islamic Relief Worldwide is a faith-inspired humanitarian and development agency which is working to support and empower the world's most vulnerable people.

Humanitarian assistance is aid and action designed to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity during and after man-made crises and disasters. It encompasses a wide range of activities, including providing food, water, shelter, medical care, and protection. Humanitarian assistance is grounded in the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence.

A non-state actor (NSA) is an individual or organization that has significant political influence but is not allied to any particular country or state.

Plan International is a development and humanitarian organisation which works in over 75 countries across Africa, the Americas, and Asia to advance children’s rights and equality for girls. Its focus is on child protection, education, child participation, economic security, emergencies, health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and water and sanitation. As of 2021, Plan International reached 26.2 million girls and 24.1 million boys through its programming.

Medair is an international non-governmental organisation (INGO) whose purpose is to relieve human suffering in some of the world's most remote and devastated places. Medair aims to assist people affected by natural disasters and conflict to recover with dignity through the delivery of quality humanitarian aid.

There are a number of meanings for the term humanitarian. Here, humanitarian pertains to the practice of saving lives and alleviating suffering. It is usually related to emergency response whether in the case of a natural disaster or a man-made disaster such as war or other armed conflict. Humanitarian principles govern the way humanitarian response is carried out.

People in Need (PIN) is a Czech nonprofit, non-governmental organisation based in Prague, Czech Republic. PIN implements humanitarian relief and long term development projects, educational programmes, and human rights programmes in crisis affected regions internationally. Its director is Šimon Pánek. As of 2022, PIN operates in 33+ countries.

Nordic Assistance to Vietnam or NAV is a non-governmental organization giving social and humanitarian assistance in Vietnam.

International health, also called geographic medicine, international medicine, or global health, is a field of health care, usually with a public health emphasis, dealing with health across regional or national boundaries. One subset of international medicine, travel medicine, prepares travelers with immunizations, prophylactic medications, preventive techniques such as bed nets and residual pesticides, in-transit care, and post-travel care for exotic illnesses. International health, however, more often refers to health personnel or organizations from one area or nation providing direct health care, or health sector development, in another area or nation. It is this sense of the term that is explained here. More recently, public health experts have become interested in global processes that impact human health. Globalisation and health, for example, illustrate the complex and changing sociological environment within which the determinants of health and disease express themselves.

An international organization, also known as an intergovernmental organization or an international institution, is an organization that is established by a treaty or other type of instrument governed by international law and possesses its own legal personality, such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and NATO. International organizations are composed of primarily member states, but may also include other entities, such as other international organizations, firms, and nongovernmental organizations. Additionally, entities may hold observer status. An alternative definition is that an international organization is a stable set of norms and rules meant to govern the behavior of states and other actors in the international system.

Rights-based approach to development is promoted by many development agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to achieve a positive transformation of power relations among the various development actors. This practice blurs the distinction between human rights and economic development. There are two stakeholder groups in rights-based development—the rights holders and the duty bearers. Rights-based approaches aim at strengthening the capacity of duty bearers and empower the rights holders.

Association Najdeh (AN) is a NGO involved with development and educational projects in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. It operates more exactly in and around the refugee camps. It defends the Palestinian refugee women who are often victims of discriminations and also participates in different campaigns, in coalitions of local and international organizations, for the right to work in Lebanon and the right of return to Palestine.

Accountable Now is a global platform, founded in 2008 by a group of independent non-profit organisations, which is intended to foster accountability and transparency of civil society organisations (CSOs), as well as stakeholder communication and performance. It supports CSOs to be transparent, responsive to stakeholders and focused on delivering impact.

In this article, NGOs in West Africa will be divided into three categories: African national NGOs, African international NGOs, and non-African international NGOs. NGOs stand for non-governmental organizations. These organizations are mostly non-profit and mostly work independently from the government, they have specific aims that range from human rights, finance, health, education and more. There are many non-governmental organizations in West Africa, and much activity between these countries, organizations and the rest of the world.

References

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↑ Goode, Walter, ed. (2007). Dictionary of trade policy terms . Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521885065.
↑ Appel, Benjamin J. (January 2018). "Intergovernmental Organizations and Democratic Victory in International Crises". The Journal of Politics. 80 (1): 274–287. doi:10.1086/694256.
↑ Ahmed, Shamima; Potter, David M. (2006). NGOs in international politics. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press. ISBN 9781565493469. OCLC 732955747.
1 2 3 4 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.
1 2 3 4 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.
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↑ 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. PMC 2636373 . PMID 17768507.
↑ 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.
↑ Pinheiro, Diogo; Chwieroth, Jeffrey M.; Hicks, Alexander (2014-05-21). "Do international non-governmental organizations inhibit globalization? The case of capital account liberalization in developing countries". European Journal of International Relations. 21 (1): 146–170. doi:10.1177/1354066114523656. ISSN 1354-0661.