Introduction: Civil society and international governance

International politics have rarely seemed as uncertain since the end of the Second World War as they appear today. In the study of international relations the term 'governance' is used in three broad contexts. First, international governance corresponds to a situation in which the principal actors are states and the objectives relate mainly to the regulation of interstate relations. Second, global governance involves state, intergovernmental and non-state actors and processes. Third, regional governance may be seen as a subset of global governance. Governance of any kind tends to be assessed by virtue of its effectiveness and legitimacy. One argument that has been made with increasing force in recent years is that civil society plays a crucial role in both the legitimacy and the effectiveness of global/regional governance. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.