STATE AND NON-STATE ACTORS

Actors are entities that participate in or promote international relations. The two types of
actors involved in international relations include state and non-state actors. State actors
represent a government while non-state actors do not. However, they have impact on the
state actors. A definition of world politics involving only states as the actors has been
challenged since the late 1960s and the early 1970s, since many other actors have become
way more involved in the process of international politics.

IDENTIFICATION OF ACTORS IN WORLD POLITICS

- overall capacity to decide on their purposes and interests.

- capability to mobilize necessary resources to achieve these purposes and interests and
be passionate about appealing for global cooperation.

- Actions significant enough to influence the state-to-state relations or the behaviour of

other non-state actors in the global system.

Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs)

- established by states, most times through a treaty.

- examples are the United Nations (UN), Food and Agriculture Organization,
International Labour Organization, International Civil Aviation Organization,
International Maritime Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, World
Food Programme, etc.
- IGOs only operate by the consent of states, states maintain their sovereignty.
- Most IGOs really do not possess the power to enforce state follow up with their
decisions- at least, not without the help of powerful states.
- For example, since the United States is a permanent member of the UN’s Security
Council, along with China, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom, it can veto any
substantive UN resolution.
- states join IGOs because it is in their interest to do so. Their membership makes certain
problems easily solved and at a less cost than without them.
- E.g., in the free trade case, the World Trade Organization was created to coordinate the
negotiation of tariffs, to further provide a mechanism and avenue for the resolving of
disputes. Some of these tasks will be more expensive and complicated to execute
without the IGOs.
- IGOs are not only created to solve problems but to provide platforms for discussion.

United Nations (UN)

- Maintain international peace and security. Develop friendly relations among nations.
Achieve international cooperation in solving international problems. Function as a
centre for harmonizing the actions of nations
World Bank

- Works on reducing poverty. It helps developing countries by giving loans.

The Group of Eight (G8)

- The Group of 8 is made up of the world’s leading industrial countries (Canada, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, USA and Russia). The head of the G8 countries meet each
year to discuss global issues such as world poverty and security.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

- Military alliance. A system of collective defence where its member states agree to
mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party

Non-Governmental Organisations

- are non-profit organizations who advocate or pursue policies for the good of the
public.
- engaged in issues such as human rights humanitarian aid, economic development, and
social welfare, among other things.
- e.g the Red Cross, Greenpeace, Oxfam, and Amnesty International, TGEI
- People volunteer for NGOs from populations of two or more states to promote their
shared interests/ideas and to influence the policies of state governments and IGOs.

- Most pursue objectives that are highly respected and constructive, and therefore do
not provoke any controversy or arouse much opposition.

- NGOs interact with states, sub-state actors, MNCs, and other NGOs.

- NGOs are increasingly being recognized in the UN and other forums, as legitimate
actors along with states but not equal to them.

- At times NGOs combine efforts through transnational advocacy networks.

- Joining NGOs helps people to participate in the global system and lobby to influence
international organizations.

- Amnesty International campaigns for internationally recognized human rights for all,
conducts research and generates action to prevent and end grave abuses of human
rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated.

- Some of the campaigns focus on armed conflict issues, protection of civilians, basic
welfare of children, LGBT rights, rights of people with AIDS, women’s rights, disability
rights, human impact of pollution and environmental degradation, freedom of the
press, etc.
OXFAM- works to help eliminate global poverty with long-term and sustainable solutions

AIESEC - links students worldwide

The increasing importance of international media and Internet has given NGOs a platform
to connect with other NGOs and raise support and awareness for the issues they stand for.

Political Groups that Advocate Violence (Terrorists)

- Terrorists or rather political groups that advocate violence might not call themselves
NGOs, but they operate in the same manner which is by interacting both with states
and with relevant populations and institutions through violence and planning attacks.
These groups hold great power and can influence the international relations between
states
-
International Criminal Groups

-transnational actors but they act in an illegitimate manner. They are criminals
operating in well-organized groups, intentionally united to carry out illegal actions.

- headed by a powerful leader.

-work to make a profit through illegal activities.

-Because they operate internationally, their activity is a threat to global security, often
weakening governmental institutions or destroying legitimate business endeavors.

-involved in drugs, prostitution, human trafficking, firearms and many other crimes.

Transnational actors

- active within the state level as well as across the state borders.

- Multinational companies/enterprises: aims are to make profit and their business

interests transcend across more than one state. Most times, they command vast
amounts of resources that rival, and even surpass, the resources of smaller states.
Examples of MNEs include: Dangote Group, Epson, Facebook, GlaxoSmithKline, Exon
Mobil, etc.

- Multinational Corporations: act internationally in the interests of their

(international) shareholders; they owe no form of loyalty to any state. MNCs’ operations
support a global business infrastructure connecting a transnational community of
businesspeople.

- MNCs also contribute to their host country’s development by providing job

opportunities for the locals in that state and thus, helping to stabilize their economy.
Why States Are No Longer the Key Actors

- after the World War, communications technology has been on the rise, international
division of labor and the expansion of global trade, a great number of international
organizations have also been established.

- Changes due to the forces of globalization.

- Along with the intensification of globalization the growth of so many kinds of non-
state actors is bound to influence the status of the state in international relations.

- But they cannot substitute for the state.

- The state is still the most important actor in international relations.