Civil Society and Intergovernmental Negotiations at the United Nations

Since the Earth Summit of 1992, the UN has increased its attention toward civil society, but there has been little analysis of the resulting intergovernmental practices. This book examines the future of international organizations, multilateralism, and how forms of exclusion in civil society are subject to intergovernmental negotiations.

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Civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations have increased at the United Nations (UN) since the 1990s. Yet few studies discuss the notion of inclusion and what it entails in intergovernmental negotiations.


This book delves into the UN’s relationship with CSOs, exploring who participates in negotiations and how their input is integrated into ratified documents. Drawing on ethnographic research, the author uncovers the complexities of accreditation, participation, and the interpretation of CSOs’ contributions. Offering a sociological analysis, she highlights the increased exclusion of CSOs despite their apparent inclusion in institutions of global governance unbounded to public accountability.


Leah R. Kimber examines the practices of exclusion CSOs are subjected to in UN negotiations by opening the machinery of intergovernmental negotiations in light of the UN’s future and legitimacy.