International Nongovernmental Organizations

Fifty years after the founding of the United Nations, transnational associations – commonly referred to as international non-governmental organizations or INGOs – have become major players on the international scene. The emergence during the past two decades of these organizations is one of the most striking global phenomena of the late 20th century. Although still inadequately recognized by some scholars of international relations, INGOs have become a significant third force in international systems, paralleling, although not yet equaling, the expanding role of inter-governmental organizations in the political sphere and the rapid globalization of business in the economic sphere.

The new importance of INGOs is derived specifically from several significant changes in human society. These changes include:

1) the enormous expansion of non-governmental organizations at local and national levels, particularly in the countries of the Third World but also in the transition states of the former Soviet bloc. The gradual process of development and the accelerating process of democratization have steadily liberated human capacities from long-standing economic, political and social constraints. Just as, in the economic sector, private enterprise is becoming increasingly important, so in civil society newly empowered citizens are organizing themselves spontaneously and massively to promote their individual and common welfare.

2) At the international level, the United Nations has entered a period of growing importance, fostered, on the one hand, by the end of the Cold War and, on the other, by the growing realization that national governments by themselves can no longer cope with a growing array of global problems such as preserving the integrity of the natural environment, eradicating diseases, controlling narcotics and many other threats to human security and well-being. Step-by step, therefore, the intergovernmental organizations which comprise the UN family are being asked to take on new responsibilities. The concept of "global governance" (although certainly not yet "global government") is now widely accepted.

3) An integral part of these changes has been the impressive breakthroughs in communication technologies in recent years. Immediate and direct contact among individuals and their organizations anywhere in the world is now feasible, and there is every indication that instant accessibility to all kinds of information will continue to spread rapidly.

These three elements - the growth of citizen organizations at all levels of society, the imperative need for global action on global problems, and the remarkable ease of instant communication - have been major building blocks in the expansion of non-governmental organizations at the global level and have led to the increasing relationship between them and the UN family.

Reading comprehension exercises:

1. Read the text, make up a plan and write down the key words.
2. Put ten questions to the text.
3. Explain the meaning: ‘the countries of the Third World’
4. Translate the following words and word-combinations into Ukrainian: striking global phenomena, the impressive breakthroughs, eradicating diseases, a growing array of global problems, newly empowered citizens.

5. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following Ukrainian words and word-combinations: неурядові організації, нагальна потреба, безпосередній контакт, доступ до всіх видів інформації, загроза безпеці людства, добробут, походити (від).

1. Retell the text.
2. Give the summary of the text

Text 4

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14