ABSTRACT
In order fully to comprehend the roles of NGOs an understanding of the international political context in which they operate is necessary. It is an appreciation of this context with respect to forest conservation that this paper aims to provide. The paper also provides a critique of regime theory. Contemporary regime theory has principally a statecentric focus and the role of NGOs has, for the most part, been neglected. This, it will be argued, is an omission that requires rectification for three reasons. Firstly, even if it is accepted that states should remain the principal focus for regime theorists, attention should be paid to how NGO advocacy work may encourage states to undergo normatively based behavioural shifts thus inducing them to help create or join a regime or, alternatively, to block the creation of or refrain from joining a regime. Secondly, it will be argued that in the ‘environmental age’ states cannot act in isolation from national and international civil society if they are to ensure the maintenance of environmental quality; the cooperation and participation of NGOs is also essential. Thirdly, it will be argued that the regime theorist should also consider regimes that are purely nongovernmental in nature.
