ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the role of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to establish cooperative arrangements, and the ways and means that are available to ensure that research and development (R&D) cooperation will be directed towards projects of interest to the productive system and are in harmony with national priorities within the developing countries. The experience of the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations (WAITRO) may serve as an example of international NGOs in the field of technical and industrial R&D. WAITRO has been emphasizing projects on the initiation and preparation of linkaging of R&D institutes with similar objectives in different countries. Many NGOs have been acknowledged by UN agencies and have been given consultative status in UN committees, panels and consultations. Many international NGOs have a great potential in the arrangement of R&D cooperation between institutes in different countries.
