Non-governmental organisations in international law

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
Acknowledgements......Page 17
Abbreviations......Page 19
PART I THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK......Page 25
1.1 Introduction......Page 27
Democracy and representation in international law......Page 30
A changing international scene: globalisation and the diffusion of state power......Page 36
The transnationalisation of civil society and the increasing role of NGOs......Page 39
Legitimacy and international law......Page 46
Conclusion: the role of NGOs in a discourse model of international law......Page 52
Definitions of ‘NGO’ in international instruments and doctrine......Page 60
Defining ‘NGO’ for the purpose of the study......Page 70
2.1 Introduction......Page 77
2.2 The historical view of the subjects of international law......Page 78
2.3 Intergovernmental organisations as subjects of international law......Page 82
Introduction......Page 87
The Order of Malta......Page 88
The International Committee of the Red Cross......Page 92
2.5 The classical concepts relating to international legal personality in modern doctrine......Page 98
2.6 The relationship between personality and the making of international customary law......Page 101
3.1 Introduction......Page 103
Introduction......Page 106
Who are the actors of international law?......Page 108
How can it be determined that a new actor has become part of the legal system?......Page 111
Who are the actors of international law?......Page 115
How can it be determined that a new actor has become part of the legal system?......Page 120
International law and international relations......Page 124
Who are the actors of international law?......Page 127
How can it be determined that a new actor has become part of the legal system?......Page 131
Introduction......Page 133
The increasing role of non-state actors......Page 135
States and the conferral of international legal status......Page 136
Generally accepted sources......Page 137
An inductive method......Page 139
PART II LEGAL AND EMPIRICAL SURVEY......Page 143
The concept of ‘rights’......Page 145
Introduction......Page 147
The intention of the parties......Page 151
The terms of the treaty......Page 152
Rights and legal remedies......Page 154
Conclusion......Page 157
Human rights, group rights and organisation rights......Page 158
Introduction......Page 163
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights......Page 164
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights......Page 171
The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders......Page 176
The ILO Conventions......Page 178
The Aarhus Convention......Page 184
The European Convention on the Recognition of the Legal Personality of International Non-Governmental Organisations......Page 188
Council of Europe Fundamental Principles on the Status of Non-Governmental Organisations in Europe......Page 190
The European Convention on Human Rights......Page 192
The rights to freedom of assembly and association......Page 193
The right to freedom of expression......Page 196
The right to a fair trial......Page 197
The right to freedom of religion......Page 198
The right to peaceful enjoyment of one’s possessions......Page 200
The European Social Charter......Page 201
The American Convention on Human Rights......Page 205
The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights......Page 207
Introduction......Page 211
Limitations of organisation rights......Page 214
The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders......Page 216
Formal IGO–NGO co-operation......Page 217
Codes of conduct......Page 222
Introduction......Page 225
International humanitarian law and humanitarian organisations......Page 229
4.5 Conclusions......Page 239
5.1 Introduction......Page 242
The International Court of Justice......Page 243
The Human Rights Committee......Page 248
The Draft Optional Protocol to the ICESCR......Page 254
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination......Page 255
The Committee Against Torture......Page 258
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women......Page 259
The 1503 Procedure......Page 260
The ILO freedom of association procedures......Page 261
The UNESCO procedure for individual communications......Page 263
The World Bank Inspection Panel......Page 265
The procedure......Page 270
The concept of ‘non-governmental organisation’ and the victim requirement......Page 271
NGOs as parties before the Commission and the Court......Page 277
Issues raised in cases brought by NGOs......Page 279
The European Social Charter collective complaints procedure......Page 281
The European Court of Justice......Page 288
The procedure......Page 295
The Inter-American Commission......Page 298
The Inter-American Court......Page 301
The African Commission......Page 303
The Aarhus Convention procedure for individual communications......Page 309
The citizen submission procedure under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation......Page 312
5.4 Conclusions......Page 322
6.1 Introduction......Page 324
6.2 The World Court......Page 327
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia......Page 334
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda......Page 338
6.4 The WTO dispute settlement procedure......Page 341
The Court......Page 352
6.6 The European Court of Justice......Page 369
The Inter-American Commission......Page 374
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights......Page 378
Contentious cases......Page 379
Advisory opinions......Page 382
6.8 The African Commission and Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights......Page 385
6.9 Conclusions......Page 387
7.1 Introduction......Page 390
Introduction......Page 391
The General Assembly and the Security Council......Page 393
General......Page 398
ECOSOC Standing Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations......Page 406
ECOSOC subsidiary bodies and extra-conventional mechanisms......Page 411
Introduction......Page 419
The Human Rights Committee......Page 420
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights......Page 421
The Committee Against Torture......Page 423
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women......Page 425
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination......Page 426
The Committee on the Rights of the Child......Page 428
Discussions on reform of UN–civil society relationships......Page 430
The tripartite structure......Page 434
Consultative status......Page 439
7.4 The Council of Europe......Page 440
7.5 The European Union......Page 449
General......Page 455
The General Assembly and the General Secretariat......Page 459
The OAS Councils......Page 460
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights......Page 461
General......Page 462
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights......Page 464
7.8 Conclusions......Page 468
8.1 Introduction......Page 470
8.2 Rules for NGO participation in UN conferences......Page 472
8.3 The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development......Page 474
8.4 The World Conference on Human Rights......Page 479
8.5 Third Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change......Page 484
Introduction......Page 487
Qualitative research interviewing......Page 489
The legal framework for NGO participation......Page 491
General......Page 494
The modalities for NGO participation......Page 495
Strategies and working methods of NGOs......Page 496
The internal strategy of the CICC......Page 501
In what respect were the negotiations influenced?......Page 502
8.7 Conclusions......Page 503
9.1 International agreements and non-state actors......Page 511
9.2 Agreements between states and NGOs......Page 518
Introduction......Page 520
Memoranda of understanding and framework agreements......Page 522
Project agreements......Page 527
9.4 Conclusions......Page 530
PART III CONCLUSION......Page 535
10.1 The legal status of NGOs in international law......Page 537
10.2 Possible developments of the legal status of NGOs through standard-setting......Page 545
10.3 NGOs and the legitimacy of international law......Page 547
Bibliography......Page 551
Interviews......Page 569
Index......Page 571