ABSTRACT
Civil society has figured with increasing prominence in the recent history of global governance. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, has declared that “there are few limits to what civil society can achieve,” while the President of the World Bank, James Wolfensohn, has affirmed that “civil society is probably the largest single factor in development.” 2 The recently retired Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Michel Camdessus, has similarly applauded “the valiant efforts of NGOs” in the area of social development. 3
