ABSTRACT
The role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other major groups in promoting the participation of developing countries in international environmental agreements is increasingly being recognized by the international community as an important one. This chapter focuses on the role of the environmental NGOs in promoting the participation of developing countries in international environmental agreements and examines the role of the business and industry group in this regard, as they in many ways play a pivotal role. NGOs played a role in the international arena long before the creation of the United Nations. NGOs are characterized as nonprofit organizations, independent of specific governmental controls. NGOs are having a large influence in the negotiation, implementation, and compliance process of international environmental agreements. NGO advocacy of a funding mechanism for assisting developing countries with technology conversion played an important role in promoting the participation of two essential developing countries, India and China.
