home > archive > 2003 > this article The Third Sector By Henry
Lamb A new mechanism of governance is emerging. Georgetown
University calls it "The Third Sector." The United Nations calls
it "Civil Society." The President's Council on Sustainable
Development calls it "...a new, collaborative decision process."
Whatever it's called, it is a process to formulate public policy
by non-elected individuals, unencumbered by the legislative
process. The process was developed by the International Union
for the Conservation of Nature, and the United Nations. As the
IUCN developed its land management policy proposals, a network
of "civil society" organizations, called BIONET, was created to
promote the policy proposal and to lobby U.N. delegates. As the
IUCN developed its climate change policy proposals, a network of
"civil society organizations, called Climate Action Network was
created to promote the policy proposals and to lobby U.N.
delegates. The same process created the Women's Environment and
Development Organizat