THE ROMANI VOICE IN WORLD POLITICS
Non-State Actors in International Law, Politics and Governance Series
Series Editors:
Math Noortmann, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Bob Reinalda, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Bas Arts, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Peter Willetts, City University London, UK
The proliferation of non-state actors in the international system over the last three decades has increased the need for a broader theoretical analysis and empirical validation. The series explores the capabilities and impact of non-state actors, such as privately-based transnational corporations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international criminal organizations, and liberation movements, as well as intergovernmental organizations (in which NGOs often participate). The series seeks to address this need and to deepen the knowledge and understanding of non-state actors by scholars, practitioners and students in the fields of international law, politics and governance. By emphasizing legal, political and governance aspects of non-state actors activities at the international (global or regional) level, the series intends to transcend traditional disciplinary and organizational boundaries.
Also in the series
Surviving Global Change?:
Agricultural Interest Groups in Comparative Perspective
Edited by Darren Halpin
ISBN 07546 4204 6
Non-State Actors in International Relations
Edited by Bas Arts, Math Noortmann and Bob Reinalda
ISBN 07546 1848 X
Agents of Altruism: The Expansion of Humanitarian NGOs
in Rwanda and Afghanistan
Katarina West
ISBN 07546 1839 0
The Romani Voice in World Politics
The United Nations and Non-State Actors
ILONA KLMOV-ALEXANDER
University of Cambridge, UK
First published 2005 by Ashgate Publishing
Published 2016 by Routledge
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Copyright 2005 Ilona Klmov-Alexander
Ilona Klmov-Alexander has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Klmov-Alexander, Ilona
The Romani voice in world politics : the United Nations and
non-state actors. (Non-state actors in international law,
politics and governance)
1. International Romani Union 2. United Nations -
Non-governmental advisory organizations 3. Romanies -
Politics and government
I. Title
323.1 191497
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Klmov-Alexander, Ilona.
The Romani voice in world politics : the United Nations and non-state actors / by Ilona Klmov-Alexander.
p. cm. -- (Non-state actors in international law, politics and governance
series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7546-4173-2
1. Romanies--Politics and government. 2. Romanies--Government relations. 3. Romanies--Social conditions. 4. International relations. 5. United Nations. I. Title. II. Series.
DX145.K55 2005
323.1191497--dc22
2004020406
ISBN 9780754641735 (hbk)
ISBN 9781138258990 (pbk)
Typeset in Times New Roman by Saxon Graphics Ltd, Derby
Mid 2004, the UN website lists 2531 NGOs in consultative status; 134 under the heading General, 1474 listed as Special and 923 included in the Roster. The explosive increase in the number of NGOs associated with the UN on the basis of article 71 of the UN Charter has triggered many publications on the role and position of NGOs within the UN. However, no publication has attempted to describe and analyze the efforts of one particular NGO as thoroughly as Ilona Klmov-Alexanders The Romani Voice in World Politics: the United Nations and Non-State Actors.
This is the third publication in this series, which focuses on the role and position of non-state actors in international law, politics and governance. Ilona Klmov-Alexander has touched upon of all of these elements in her description and analysis of the International Romani Union (IRU) and the relationship of this NGO with the United Nations. As this publication is difficult to classify in disciplinary terms, it perfectly fits in a series, which intends to exceed disciplinary boundaries.
The Romani Voice in World Politics demonstrates that the relationship between the IRU and the UN is a complex and multi-facetted one. Being only one NGO among 2530 others, the story of the IRU is a specific one, not necessarily exemplary for the experiences of other NGOs. The NGO world is too diverse to simply extrapolate the findings of this specific study to the overall relationship between the UN and NGOs under the UNs consultative status regime. Moreover, the IRU is an extra-ordinary NGO; voicing the needs of a people rather then advocating a particular public or private interest as most other NGOs do.
This book is a detailed account of successes and failures of an NGO to obtain consultative status and influence world politics; an account of the struggles of personalities; an account of lobbying and networking.
This study is the result of considerable field research and analysis of written documents. As a non-Roma, Ilona Klmov-Alexander has been able to obtain and retrieve information which was not previously available or which was not open to the larger academic and professional communities.
Ilona Klmov-Alexanders study not only presents the interested reader with the development and struggles of a NGO, it also invites the scholarly reader to question concepts like movement, NGO-strategy and NGO-UN relationship. The Romani Voice in World Politics demonstrates that the study of individual NGOs and their development as international non-state actors are necessary to further conceptualize the impact and status of non-state actors in international law, politics and governance. As such it is not only a valuable contribution to the ongoing discourse on non-state actors, but also a motivation to study the role and position of individual NGOs in more detail and an incentive to increased comparative and interdisciplinary research.
Math Noortmann
Two people have acted as the main mentors during my research and manuscript preparation Professor James Mayall from the Centre of International Studies of the University of Cambridge and Professor Thomas Acton from the School of Humanities at the University of Greenwich. I thank them both for all the support and guidance they provided in the course of this work. I also thank James for taking interest in my unusual topic, for help with securing fieldwork funding, and for a very personable approach which made me feel like an equal partner during our critical discussions. I owe to Thomas my first contacts with Romani activists, politicians and intellectuals. Among those, I want to mention three in particular: Nicolae Gheorghe, whose inquisitive and brilliant mind and intriguingly charming diplomacy inspired me throughout this project, Ian Hancock, who helpfully answered my frequent questions and requests for materials, and Peter Mercer who has been wonderful (informative and entertaining) company on many long drives to various meetings (saving me from complicated bus or train journeys).
