Legal Status of Non-Governmental Organizations in International Law

NGOs play an increasingly important role not only as international political actors but also as organizations involved in the creation, implementation and enforcement of international law. Have these organizations acquired an international status equivalent to that of States or international governmental organizations? This question is difficult to answer because there is a disparity between the reality of international NGO involvement and impact, and the international legal framework regulating this participation. Until now, NGO rules have developed organically within each organization, treaty body or international court. There is no unique set of international rules referring to NGOs as a category. In this context, it becomes relevant to survey and examine the international provisions that regulate NGO action at the international level in order to reach a conclusion on the legal status of NGOs and how this status should evolve and NGO accountability should be approached at the international level.