Mitigating North-South participation inequalities in global environmental governance: potential NGO contributions

Abstract

For several historical and political reasons, the decision-making processes and institutional structures of environmental governance has been greatly impacted by the North-South dimension, which creates enormous challenges for Southern states when they try to present their concerns to global forums. These challenges have many dimensions, such as political, economic, social, and legal. This thesis recognises the “poverty of influence” that has become endemic as a result of the lack of resources, expertise, research facilities, technology and other practical deficiencies that exist in the negotiating procedures and which have hampered the South’s participation in global environmental governance. Such participatory inequalities between North and South have seriously hampered the application of equity, fairness and justice – principles that are considered to be vital ingredients in any balanced governing system.

This thesis proposes the utilisation of the diverse capacity of transnational NGO networks to enable the Southern voice to be effectively heard in global decision-making processes, and it questions the traditional legal structures that currently allow for NGO involvement by determining the need for wider opportunities to be considered, thereby enabling them to express their concerns. The thesis includes a Case Study that examines from a North-South perspective the different capacities of NGOs to influence global forests negotiations. Consequently, it is hoped that the thesis will contribute towards a greater understanding of the benefits that might accrue from the utilisation of transnational networks to voice hitherto unheard global forest issues.

This thesis, which is timely, in that 2011 was the International Year of Forests, argues that transnational NGO networks could help mitigate the inequalities suffered by the South caused by the historic North-South divide. However, it also stresses the importance attached to transnational NGO networks incorporating measurable values of legitimacy and accountability when they represent the South at global governance forums.