1. The strengthening of international institutions like the UN and the spread of international
law: thus to a far higher degree than before many aspects of life within states are fenced
in, if not formally constrained by, the decisions of international bodies and the laws that
are passed. Even if states are still the key actors, what limits are in place are far more
extensive than before.

2. The increasing influence of non-state actors such as transnational companies that play an
increasing role in determining how the economies within countries fare, e.g. in deciding
to close down operations in one city and setting them up elsewhere in the world where
labour is cheaper, or outsourcing call centres and so on. Such organisations will also have
a powerful lobbying role in international organisations like the WTO in helping to shape
the developing trade rules, pressing for a General Agreement of Trade in Services
(GATS) etc. These economic actors may not engage in government, e.g. in formulating
or approving laws, let alone enforcing them, but they certainly contribute to governance
in that what they do and promote influences the way thing go globally and indeed is
intended to so influence it.

3. The third area of development is the development of global civil society – once described
by Mary Robinson, no doubt hyperbolically but with a serious point, as the second super
power alongside the USA! Individual people, whether acting through national nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) or international NGOs (INGOs) or acting through
more informal groups (such as those formed for political purposes on the Internet),
increasingly play their part in trying to influence how things go on global issues. This
may be through pressuring their own governments on internal foreign policy issues, or
through trying to influence foreign governments (like an Amnesty Intentional letter
writing campaign) or at international forums (e.g. environmental pressure groups helping
to formulate international environmental law).

Source: Dower: Development & Globalisation (2005) p. 5