Non-state Actors

1
Non-state Actors

• States are not the only important actors in world
  politics.
• International organisations (EU, UN)
• Multinationals (Shell, Nestle)
• Non-governmental organisations (Amnesty
  International, Greenpeace)

2
Liberalism and International Organisations

• Free trade over autarky. Interdependence brings
  mutual benefits. To regulate free trade there is
  the need for multilateralism.
• Collective security over balance of power.
  Threats should be faced through multilateralism.
  Many threats are linked to non-state actors.

3
Power and International Organisations

• Realist scepticism about the effectiveness of
  international organisations.
• Instruments of state power
• Inability to make states follow rules.
• International law is made to protect the
  interests of the powerful.

4
The power of international organisations

• Once set up, they tend to take a life of their
  own
• They generate their own interests
• They compete with states for influence and
  policy-making
• They are the only entities capable of dealing
  with common threats.

5
Other Non-State Actors

• Global civil society actors.
• The power of ideas
• The power of mobility
• The power of technology
• Q. A positive development or the undermining of
  the legitimacy of the state?