Civil Society Influence on International Organizations: Theorizing the State Channel

Abstract

The literature on transnational civil society tends to treat civil society organizations (CSOs) as independent actors, accomplishing policy change largely through moral force or popular pressure. However, a significant portion of CSO successes in policy advocacy actually utilizes alliances with state actors. To understand the implications of this ‘state channel’ of CSO influence, we develop a new model of CSO use of state influence. We identify four factors that determine whether the state channel is accessible for CSOs to use and is likely to produce more effective CSO influence than direct CSO engagement with the international organization (IO): the porousness of the targeted states and IOs, the availability of contacts, the possibility for alignment of interests, and the relative power of aligned state and IO contacts. We illustrate this theory using four case studies of civil society engagement: two case studies involving the World Bank and two involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Our analysis suggests that the factors determining CSOs' successful use of the state channel currently tend to favour a small number of well-resourced, reformist CSOs from porous and powerful states.

Key Words:

• Civil society organizations
• states
• international organizations
• global governance
• democracy
• policy-making
• advocacy
• World Bank
• ASEAN

Acknowledgements

Uhlin's research for this article was carried out within the Transdemos research program funded by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, Sweden. We are grateful for constructive comments from Tobias Hoffman, Sara Kalm, Jonas Tallberg, the Journal of Civil Society editors, and two anonymous reviewers.

Notes

1. Fax from BIC to invited NGOs, 29 January 1993. See also fax from Natural Resources Defense Council to Congressman Barney Frank, 2 April 1993.

2. Hearings before a US Senate subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, on Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1994, 15 June 1993.

3. Meeting on Hydro Project Held in Nepal, The Nepal Digest, 10 August 1995. See also World Bank press release, ‘World Bank and Nepal to Develop Alternatives to Arun Project’, 3 August 1995 and Udall (1998, p. 412).

4. World Bank press release, ‘World Bank and Nepal to Develop Alternatives to Arun Project’, 3 August 1995.