Pursuing Power: Explaining NGO Prominence in the UN Climate Change Governance

• In Event: Transnational Politics of International Non-Governmental Organization Behavior

Abstract

As transnational non-governmental organizations (NGOs) pursue political impact in global governance, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) have proven to be important venues and even allies. As more and more NGOs scale up their advocacy to the intergovernmental level, their impacts are, however, uneven. Why do some NGOs become more influential and powerful than others in the intergovernmental venues? Motivated by this question, this research first argues that existing understanding of NGO power is disproportionately based on organizational level attributes while neglecting the relational aspect. It thus defines three types of power based on the network position an NGO occupies when it interacts with other NGOs working on similar issues at the IGO. These three types of power include power to impact, power through visibility, and power of broker. This study then contends that the different types of NGO power can be attributed to multi-level factors. Moving beyond individual, organizational level, this research considers both IGO level structural forces such as institutional arrangements and normative climate, and inter-NGO level relations. Focusing on the NGOs working at the intersection between gender equality and climate change at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), I found that NGOs who can align their mission with that of the IGO are more likely to impact UN agencies and other IGOs at climate change governance, especially during the early stage of advocacy. Those who share a common goal with many other NGOs are likely to be more visible. Finally, NGOs well-connected outside of the UN arena can usually find power in being a broker inside of the UN, connecting and communicating among different groups of NGOs.

Author

• Bi Zhao, Purdue University