ABSTRACT
The relations between the UN system and what is referred to as civil society are dynamically growing and changing. In this article I focus on five aspects: (1) evolving procedures for UN-nongovernmental organization (NGO) relations presided over by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); (2) broadening of NGO involvement at UN headquarters; (3) the present scope of NGO involvement in the UN system; (4) growing NGO involvement in the World Bank and the World Trade Organization (WTO); and (5) NGO conferences. 1 I conclude with an overview and a few thoughts about implications for global governance. But necessary insight on the importance of these topics requires that we first place them in their broader context.
