ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the negotiation among diplomats, civil servants and experts is unlikely to secure the inclusions of all relevant concerns of the global constituency into decision-making at the global level. By participating in political debate at the global level, civil society organizations (CSOs) has the capacity to transport new issues, interests and concerns from stakeholders to global governance arrangements. In addition, civil society organizations often add a pronouncedly critical perspective to translational deliberation, which contributes to their functioning as a potential corrective to governmental delegation. 'Deliberation' means a discussion in which statements or positions are based on some kind of argument or reasons. In Habermas's theory of deliberative democracy the public sphere plays a key role. The public is understood as a collective of citizens connected by processes of communication over particular aspects of social and political life, which can, in principle, extend beyond national borders.
