Non-Governmental Organizations

• Author: Mark Freeman, Gibran Van Ert
• Pages: 507-515

In recent years, a wide range of non-state actors, known collectively as

“civil society,” has made its presence felt on the international stage,

particularly in the field of international human rights. The people and

organizations that make up civil society include all forms of media,

trade unions and similar labour associations, churches and other faith-

based institutions, think tanks, professional associations, students,

artists, and more. Arguably, however, the leading civil society actors in

the human rights field are the world’s non-governmental organizations

(NGOs). It is difficult to imagine an effective global human rights sys-

tem in their absence. They are, simply put, critical to the effective glob-

al promotion and protection of human rights. In this chapter we review

the historic and contemporary roles of human rights NGOs, both inter-

nationally and in Canada.

A. HISTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS NGOs

Human rights NGOs have been active in the world for almost two cen-

turies, even if they did not always conceive of themselves as such. The

Anti-Slavery Society for Human Rights was formed in 1838 with the aim

of abolishing the slave trade and, ultimately, slavery itself.1The Interna-

507

NON-GOVERNMENTAL

ORGANIZATIONS

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1 Today the organization continues under the name Anti-Slavery International.