Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from Amnesty International and Oxfam to Greenpeace and Save the Children are now key players in global politics. This accessible and informative textbook provides a comprehensive overview of the significant role and increasing participation of NGOs in World Politics, and includes an evaluation of the enhanced communication offered by the creation of the Internet. Peter Willetts examines the variety of different NGOs, their structure, membership and activities and their complex relationship with social movements and civil society. How NGOs influence global policymaking and the status of NGOs within international law is discussed, as well as the lack of discussion of NGOs within mainstream international relations theory. This is the definitive guide to this crucial area within international politics and should be required reading for students, NGO activists and policymakers.