Part II Institutions, s.2 Further Institutions of the Council of Europe as a Whole, 12 The Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations of the Council of Europe

Subject(s):

Democracy — NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) — Responsibility of international organizations — Rule of law

This chapter analyses the origins, structures, and effects of the Conference of International Non-governmental Organisations of the Council of Europe. It aims to demonstrate the limits and chances for NGO participation at the international level. Hence the chapter shows how the NGOs serve as a possible redress on the perceived lack of legitimacy in the growing trend of ‘global governance’. They are seen as a means to further a participatory understanding of democracy on the international level. Insofar as NGOs are pursuing different aims and representing diverging values, their increasing participation has also been described as a reason for the politicisation of international organisations.