Revisiting actorness in international politics: NGOs as policy-designers against the use of military drones

Abstract

NGOs have had an increasing role in influencing international relations, policy-making processes and peoples lives in general. They have different means on how to advocate for a cause and how to highlight a policy issue they deem important. Several major NGOs have recognized the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as a problem under the current international law and are, therefore, working in order to influence nation-state policy makers and through that also international law. There are several indicators in which one could conclude that the non-governmental organizations have been successful. Yet there are also many indicators that suggest otherwise. This work will examine the NGOs rise to be an actor in international arena. This work will also examine whether several major NGOs are influential and powerful enough to warrant a change regarding the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in a conventional and non-conventional battlefield. The work concludes that at the moment, there are several improvements the NGOs could make in order to become more influential because at the moment, the do not have enough power and influence to call for a change in an international law that would take into consideration their research, positions and findings.