History of the NGO Sector
Anhier Anheier et al. (2001) notes that international non-governmental organizatsion date back to the ninetheeth century, bu thte term is more recent, being coined during the period of the League of Nations. They furnter note that hte earliest INGO is generlly said to be the antislavery society, formed as the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society in 1839, although the movement against slavery was founded much earliert. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was founded in 1864 by Henri Dunant. According to Anheier et al. (2001) by 1874 there were 32 registered INGOs and by 1914 there were 1,083. they place the 2000 numbers at around 13,000, with about one quarter of those created after 1990.
International non-governmental organizations have a history dating back to at least the mid-nineteenth century.[1] They were important in the anti-slavery movement and the movement for women's suffrage, and reached a peak at the time of the World Disarmament Conference.[2] However, the phrase "non-governmental organization" only came into popular use with the establishment of the United Nations Organization in 1945 with provisions in Article 71 of Chapter 10 of the United Nations Charter[1] for a consultative role for organizations which are neither governments nor member states – see Consultative Status. The definition of "international NGO" (INGO) is first given in resolution 288 (X) of ECOSOC on February 27, 1950: it is defined as "any international organisation that is not founded by an international treaty". The vital role of NGOs and other "major groups" in sustainable development was recognized in Chapter 27[2] of Agenda 21, leading to intense arrangements for a consultative relationship between the United Nations and non-governmental organizations.[3]
Globalization during the 20th century gave rise to the importance of NGOs. Many problems could not be solved within a nation. International treaties and international organizations such as the World Trade Organization were perceived as being too centred on the interests of capitalist enterprises. In an attempt to counterbalance this trend, NGOs have developed to emphasize humanitarian issues, developmental aid and sustainable development. A prominent example of this is the World Social Forum which is a rival convention to the World Economic Forum held annually in January in Davos, Switzerland. The fifth World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in January 2005 was attended by representatives from more than 1,000 NGOs.[4]
References
- Anheier, Helmut, Marlies Glasius, and Mary Kaldor. Introducing Global Civil Society. In H. Anheier, M. Glasius, and M. Kaldor (eds.), Centre for Civil Society (London School of Economics and Political Science Governance, London School of Economics), Global Civil Society Yearbook 2001. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0199246440.
