LE3 .A278 2001

2001

Conley, Marsh

Acadia University

Master of Arts

Masters

Political Science

Politics

The purpose of this study is to examine the evolving relationship between the United Nations (UN) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the contemporary international system. The paper begins by framing the issue against the backdrop of immense global change, emphasizing the growing presence of NGOs within the UN system and their considerable impact on the international stage. Next, it explores a case study of women's rights organizations and UN agencies in Harare, Zimbabwe in order to identify the nature of UN-NGO relationships within a specific cultural context. Findings show that while most use the language of partnership to describe these collaborative endeavours, few believe that they are close to fully actualizing the concept. Instead, although the discourse of partnership conveys a relationship of equality and mutual support, underlying power disparities often continue to plague collaborative relationships in practice. This study serves to acknowledge this paradox, but also explores the actual experiences and opinions of those engaged in UN-NGO relationships in order to identify opportunities for improved collaboration. Above all, the goal is to provide a window into UN-NGO relationships at the national level, as well as a greater understanding of their significance in the larger world.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:2210