Eco
...for Disarmament Affairs
United Nations
A Cartography of Governance: Exploring the Role of Environmental NGOs
The Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law and Policy
University of Colorado Law School
University of Colorado at Boulder
Boulder, Colorado 7 April 2001
Introduction - Sovereignty, Globalization, and Interdependence
The Nation State - Globalization and the NGOs - Conclusion
Introduction
My task tDDAy is not an enviable one, for the twin subjects of my remarks -- globalization and
the nation state -- have already been the focus of voluminous tracts by some of the keenest
observers of the modern age. Yet one must address these issues, for the future role of
environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will be profoundly affected by the
evolution of this complex process known as globalization, and this ever-changing structure
known as the nation state. In the years ahead, environmental NGOs will not simply be passively
influenced by these two hallmarks of our time, but they will also have the potential to influence
them both for the good of all, and to ensure their harmonious coexistence for the common
benefit of humankind.
Sovereignty, Globalization, and Interdependence
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GLOBALIZATION AND THE NATION STATE
An essential link between globalization and the nation state is the concept of sovereignty, a term
dating back several centuries, well before the nation-state system was established in 1648.
Originally intended in reference to the establishment of order within a state, sovereignty has
since been interpreted by some as a legal quality that places the state above the authority of all
external laws.
Yet whenever a state exercises its sovereign right to sign a treaty, it is also wilfully limiting that
right by...
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