Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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Credibility and Legitimacy of NGOs
NGOs play an increasingly active role in today’s political and social arenas. Civil society organizations are sprouting up all over the world. According to the 2002 UNDP Human Development Report, nearly one-fifth of the world’s 37,000 NGOs were formed in the 90’s. Sometimes, local and international NGOs act irresponsibly and undermine the credibility of civil society in general. Organizations must be as accountable as the governments they criticize. This poses a great challenge to the NGO movement and to global democracy more generally.
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Also See GPF's page on: Funding for NGOs | NGOs and States
Articles
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | Archived Articles
Rev. Moon and the United Nations: A Challenge for the NGO Community (November 2001)
According to WEED, three Moon front groups operate as accredited NGOs at the UN and more have applied for NGO status. This paper raises questions about who should qualify for NGO status and what protections should be developed against well-financed charlatans. Click here for the PDF document.
2008
China, NGOs and Accountability (April 8, 2008)
Private donations account for almost 90 percent of NGO funding in China and the government has had more of a “monitoring” role than a “facilitating” one. This article describes how NGOs can strengthen their independence and credibility through examining each other’s work and involving the people they serve. (openDemocracy)Why We Need to Look Hard at the NGOs’ Flaws (Spring 2008)
Evaluations of NGO effectiveness “have been patchy at best,” says Robert Glasser, Secretary General of CARE International. Glasser argues that measuring the impact of NGO’s operations is crucial in improving their response to crisis situations. He points to the confusion in Aceh, Indonesia, following the Indian Ocean tsunami, where 400 NGOs and UN organizations were competing for resources, staff and funding. CARE and six other NGOs have created an Emergency Capacity Building Project to strengthen NGO cooperation in assessing their own performance. (Europe’s World)Swindling by Fake NGOs (March 15, 2008)
Legitimate NGOs in Bangladesh struggle to preserve a pristine image whilst corrupt law enforcement agencies register fake NGOs as fronts for illegal operations. This Daily Star article identifies thirty illicit NGOs who swindle the poor in remote Bangladeshi villages and misappropriate foreign funds. Transparency International Bangladesh recommends that the government swiftly establishes an independent NGO commission2007
Silences in NGO Discourse: The Role and Future of NGOs in Africa (2007)
This collection of essays argues that NGOs are Africa’s new missionaries. They dispense services in a spirit of “charity and pity” as puppets of “neo-colonial” powers. NGOs rely on their funding partners in a paternalistic relationship where foreign “true friends” – as one US ambassador termed donors – treat the poor as recipients of aid and exclude citizens from policy-making. The author recommends that NGOs in Africa stop pretending neutrality and engage in political activism. (Fahamu)Western Humanitarianism or Neo-Slavery? (November 7, 2007)
In October 2007, Chadian authorities arrested European NGO workers for kidnapping more than 100 children they falsely claimed were Sudanese orphans. In light of this scandal, UNESCO Chair in Human Rights, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu critically assesses “Western humanitarianism” and the role of NGOs in Africa. Omara-Otunnu argues that “little has changed since the mid nineteenth century,” when Christian missionaries viewed African people as lesser human beings who needed to be saved through European colonization. (Black Star News)An Atrocity That Needs No Exaggeration (August 12, 2007)
The New York Times reveals that the “Save Darfur” campaign greatly inflated the number of deaths in order to heighten the sense of crisis in Darfur and press for intervention. Experts have contested the widely advertised death toll of 400,000 and the most reliable estimate suggests that there were 131,000 excess deaths in Darfur as of June 2005, after which date, United Nations and relief groups register a sharp drop. According to the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disaster, most deaths were due to malnutrition and disease, not violence. “Ultimately, the inflated claims fuel a death race in which aid and action are based not on facts but on which advocacy group yells the loudest,” concludes the article. Facts were manipulated in order to promote a policy of humanitarian intervention.Civil Society Wants Transparency - For Itself as Well (May 14, 2007)
Most NGOs strive to make the allocations of their funds transparent to the public, especially to skeptical benefactors. However, keeping track of finances and making the records accessible to outside parties can have high costs. Some NGOs that cannot afford a formal audit, hold regular meetings, require multiple directors’ signatures for expenditures, or write down expenses on a blackboard in order to keep track of their accounting. An Argentine organization, Help Argentina, which aims to increase NGO credibility has created a “self-evaluation” booklet for its member organizations to use to analyze their transparency. (Inter Press Service)Do Aid Agencies Pull Too Many Strings? (April 20, 2007)
This AlertNet opinion piece discusses some problems that could arise when wealthy, foreign NGOs appear to wield more influence than domestic groups on social, political and economic issues. According to the article, the dilemma of “cash-rich” international organizations pushing agendas that do not seem to correspond with the needs of the local populace “can easily be seen and felt as neocolonial.” The author calls on foreign NGOs to use their resources to not only carry out their mandates, but to also help strengthen the local NGO sector without overshadowing it.Impact Measurement and Accountability in Emergencies: The “Good Enough” Guide (February 9, 2007)
Drawing from the experiences of a number of international aid agencies, this guide outlines how NGOs can assess the effectiveness of their responses to humanitarian crises. This report emphasizes the need for an assessment system to enable the people affected by emergencies – as well as donors and host governments – to hold relief workers to account for their activities. Further, with evaluations that more accurately reflect the impact of their work, NGOs can improve existing field operations and better prepare for future unforeseen disasters. (Oxfam UK)2006
Foreign NGOs Have Their Own Agenda (October 5, 2006)
This Yemen Times piece recognizes the important contribution that foreign NGOs can make to the development of their local counterparts, particularly those in fledgling democracies. But the author cautions against relying too heavily on foreign groups whose agendas may not necessarily align with domestic needs. The author calls, instead, for greater popular support for local NGOs which, once better equipped, can play a more formative role in engaging their fellow citizens in domestic political, economic and cultural affairs.Strengthening Democratic Governance: The Role of Civil Society (September 21, 2006)
This Wilton Park report delves into the challenges that grassroots organizations face in their efforts to promote government accountability and citizen participation. In their intertwined activities of advocacy, monitoring and providing services, NGOs often encounter government interference, unreasonable donor demands and questions about their own legitimacy. The report encourages NGOs to focus on attaining sustainable results and to “not be diverted” in their operations by such obstacles.For Some NGOs, Another Disaster Means New Flashy Cars (August 24, 2006)
This Jakarta Post article draws attention to the increasing incidence of corruption and embezzlement among local and international NGOs in Indonesia. A UN official has charged that some NGO representatives use hard-earned funds for personal gratification, destroying potentially successful reconstruction projects. In an attempt to stem this corruption, a network of independent groups will rally against the issuance of work permits to “notorious” NGOs.How Genuine Are NGOs? (August 7, 2006)
According to this New Times opinion piece, western donors, particularly the US, have historically used NGOs to exploit economic opportunities in poor countries or to counter hostile political ideologies. Citing US-led wars and the ensuing relief efforts in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, the author strongly criticizes what he calls the “mockery of humanitarian aid.” This occurs when donor nations use NGOs to provide humanitarian assistance in countries occupied by their troops. The article concludes that government-dependent NGOs work more to attract funds than to strengthen democracy.The NED, NGOs and the Imperial Uses of Philanthropy (May 14, 2006)
Agencies such as the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED) have, for many years, funded foreign NGOs who support chaotic “democratization” and “development” processes such as overthrowing elected governments and stemming any reformist movements. Oxfam UK, which receives significant donations from the US, has pulled its workers out of Iraq, showing that the source of funding largely influences NGO activities. In addition, the same sources funding NGO activities often also provide the information necessary for assessing local support for these NGOs. (Counter Punch)Marketing Humanitarian Crises (March 31, 2006)
YaleGlobal Online reports that many of the worlds’ worst crises “remain off the international agenda.” NGOs carefully choose which international issues to devote time too, due to limited resources and “internal needs” such as pleasing funders. As a result victims must “sell themselves” to NGOs, in order to gain attention and major support.Overview of Accountability Initiatives (January 2006)
This One World Trust working paper provides information on initiatives promoting accountability of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), transnational corporations (TNCs) and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). In addition to a brief description about accountability within each sector, it provides an extensive database on organizations focusing on accountability.The Power Shift and the NGO Credibility Crisis (January 2006)
Over the past half century, NGOs have increased four-fold and become astute at mobilizing support. In the midst of transnational threats, like global warming, and a wave of democratization, international and domestic institutions rely critically on NGO input. Yet there is a dearth of mechanisms to scrutinize NGOs themselves. This paper argues for a set of “industry-wide standards” to enhance NGO credibility. (International Journal of Not-for-Profit Law)
