Daniel Thürer (1999), 'The Emergence of Non-Governmental Organizations and Transnational Enterprises in International Law and the Changing Role of the State', in Rainer Hofmann (ed.), Non-State Actors as New Subjects of International Law, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 37–58.

Inrecentyears,theinternationalsystemand,asaconsequence,thesystemofinternationallawhaschangedconsiderablyduetotheemergenceandactivitiesof variousnon-stateactorssuchasnongovernmentalorganizations(NGOs)and transnationalenterprises.Thesenewglobalandtransnationalentitiesmaynotyet havereachedthestageofbeingfullyfledgedsubjectsofinternationallaw,butthey certainlycontributetocreatinga"socialmilieu"or"ambiance"(DietrichSchindler sen.Yininternationallifeoutofwhichnewlegalstructuresandentitiesmaygrow. Theinternationalsystemhasthereforebeengivennewfunctionswithwhichithas todeal.Withthechangingnatureoftheinternationallegalorder,therofeofstates hasbeentransformedandisstillbeingtransformed.Hasitdeclinedunderthe pressureofevents?Orhavestates,inthiswholeprocessofevolution,rathergained inweightandprofileasthe"trustees"ofthosetaskswhichareinherentintheconceptofstatehoodundermoderninternationallaw?ThesearethequestionsIwould liketodealwithinthisessay.GiventhesweepingnatureofourthemeIhave chosentodivideoursubjectupintothefollowingthreeparts.First,itwouldbe usefultodefmetheconceptofthestateinmoderninternationallawinordertoset aframeofreferenceagainstwhichitssupposedly"changingrole"canbemeasured.Second,weshalldealwiththeemergenceofnewtransnationalorgloballegal entities-i.e.,NGOsandtr.ansnation~lenterpriseswhich,itissubmitted,representthemainfactorsandforceswhichareleadingtothechangingnatureofstates. Thirdly,anattemptismadetoevaluatethisnewsituationfromtheperspectiveof presentinternationallawandtoinquireifandinwhatmannertheinternational legalorderneedstobereconceived,redefinedorreshapedinlightoftheabovementioneddevelopments.