Lindblom Anna-Karin. Non-Governmental Organisations in International Law

Cambridge University Press, 2005. — 587 p.Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are playing an increasing political role on the international scene, and their position in relation to international law is generally regarded as important but informal. Their actual legal status has not been the subject of much investigation. This book examines the legal status of NGOs in different fields of international law, with emphasis on human rights law. By means of a thorough examination and systematisation of international legal rules and practices, Anna-Karin Lindblom explores the rights, obligations, locus standi and consultative status of NGOs. This investigation is placed within a wider discussion on the representation of groups in the international legal system. Lindblom argues, on the basis of a discourse model of international decision-making, that non-governmental organisation is an important form of public participation that can strengthen the flawed legitimacy of the state-centric system of international law.
ANNA-KARIN LINDBLOM, LL.D., is Special Adviser in human rights issues in the Ministry of Justice (Division for Democratic Issues), Sweden. She was previously a lecturer in public international law at Uppsala University, Sweden.