Influencing Trade and Enviromental Diplomacy

Non state actors have become key proponents of regulated policies throughout the world. Government and non state actors have realized the importance of interacting with each other in all areas including trade and environmental issues.

There are so many issues of environmental of enviromental concern which constantly affects boundaries and core states. Key points of environmental diplomacy includes: conventions regulating the use of natural resources and conventions regulating pollution. In each case, the central problem is that, political boundaries rarely reflect biological boundaries, so that as national economies consume resources and produce pollution, they spread environmental problems far beyond their national boundaries. These are the key reason why non state actors are crucial in the solving of issues outside government terrain.

The power of non state actors become quiet relevant when Remington Kellogg single handedly excising his influence in the regulation of whaling. ‘The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling was created in 1946 in Washington to "provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry’. This convention was strategically influenced by non state actors. http://www.iwcoffice.org/commission/convention.htm

Non state actors and conservationist groups worked towards the treaty on the Convention on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation in the Western Hemisphere (CNP). Scientists and conservationists in the US created the CNP in the 1930s as an instrument to spread what they considered remarkable key analysis towards conservationism. In 1972, the United Nations organized a multilateral meeting on the conservation of nature. It was formulated as the: United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE) and took place in Sweden. Delegates from 114 countries and surprisingly 500 strong nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) converged in 1972. 1979 played a critical role and has since been instrumental in nature conservation across borders. The convention to combat desertification recommended the setup of desertification fund a plan orchestrated and influenced by non – state actors. ‘ Chief executive officer of Gerber’s parent company who, after 2 weeks internal debate announced that it would drop suppliers using genetically modified crops’. http://www.polisci.colostate.edu/fac/mb/NGO%20Influence.pdf

The debate in the board room was triggered by Green Peace who had involved themselves in the quest of excluding genetically modified ingredients from baby food products. The influence exhibited illustrates that non – state actors are influential and significant in the negotiation process of corporatism or politics.

Trade diplomacy has also influenced globalization, spreading to the most isolated places on earth. Trade engagement is a focus area with non – state actors operating from the grass root level directing vital information articulated by local governments. I once gave an important point regarding how non – state actors have become instrumental in local and national governance in third world countries. My grandmother who has acres of cocoa plantation relied on government education and assistance. She could sometimes wait 3 – 4 months to receive word on how the prices changed regularly. With help from some NGO’s, she received vital information and valuable links through her mobile phone and internet access to determine her price according to International standards on the International market. She doesn’t rely anymore on government and this is a good indication that non state actors are crucial and plays significant role in this area. GATT and WTO policies were for example, heavily influenced by non state actors. Preferential trade, equitable growth, poverty reduction and etc have all been influenced by non –state actors to help developing countries in the global system.