Global governance is today not only the purview of state actors interacting through international treaties but also – and more and more – a space where many diverse non-state actors participate in decision making. This is particularly prominent in climate change diplomacy given the variety of scientific, policy, technical and financial expertise it requires and which non-state actors can provide. As demonstrated by the last conference of parties (COP24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), INGOs partici-pated in the negotiations as observers, representing the interests of local governments, indigenous people, women, youth, business and industry, and the scientific community.

INGOs also prominently figure in the process of financing climate change not only as third-party accreditors and channels of funds from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) but also as potential brokers reconciling global norms with local needs. 

In this seminar, speakers will address the role of INGOs in global governance and green finance: 

1. What is the standing of international INGOs in current international public law? Other than legal legitima-cy, what else provides INGOs with credibility in climate negotiations? What does INGO inclusion in global governance mean for the future climate governance?

2.  How can INGOs help reconcile global norms with local needs, i.e in relation to the Green Climate Fund (GCF)? Can they reduce the complexity and develop a more adequate approach to diverse geographical, socio-economic and environmental settings?

For the seminar agenda and speakers’ biographies, please click here.