WHAT IS A NON-STATE ACTOR? 22 January 2010

ARE WE SURE WHAT A STATE ACTOR IS? Modern conception: A Government (An inter-governmental institution, esp. if it has its own legal base) Military forces maintained by a government, police, civilian officials etc (Local government authorities)

BUT..... Historical complications: partial/unclear statehood, armies used to be commercially recruited, some officials worked as ‘farmers’ Ethical complications: state authorities not necessarily ‘recognized’, legitimate, or generally ‘good’ Practical complications: what is called a ‘government’ may not act like one or be the real one in a ‘weak’ state

PRIVATIZATION ETC A state authority may ‘sell’ a function that it formerly controlled - privatization It may share the costs with private funders but keep a share in control – Public-Private Partnership It may purchase a service from a non-state supplier rather than doing it itself – outsourcing It may delegate tasks ad hoc

TYPES OF NON-STATE ACTORS [Supranational organizations] (Multinational) business corporations Terrorist and criminal networks Factions in an internal conflict (Multinational) NGOs (Multinational) civil society networks Ordinary people – you and me

TYPICAL NON-STATE FEATURES Self-motivating and self-resourcing Free choice of structure or no structure (often) ‘transnational’ operation/impact: -information access -information flows -equipment+technology access -cross-border movement -network building and ‘franchising’

TYPICAL PROBLEMS OF CONTROL National and international laws do not ‘bite’ unless drafted to apply to such actors (and to take account of their characteristics) Problems in applying direct coercion, deterrence or ‘defeat’ Problems of direct negotiation+agreement Problems of tracking and controlling resource flows (multinationals, money laundering, terrorist finance, gun running etc)

ON THE OTHER HAND.... Non-state security activity can: - Make up for weaknesses of non- functioning state, empower individuals - Defend against a dysfunctional state - Support and supplement the state esp in newer security dimensions (+ subsidiarity) - Find transnational solutions for transnational/global processes (modernity, flexibility) - Share and ease resource burdens

‘GOOD’ OR ‘BAD’? What is our instinctive classification of - Multinationals? - Business in general? - Terrorist groups and networks? - Criminals and their networks? - National and international NGOS? - National and international civil society networks: a) religious, b) other? - Individuals playing a security role?

TESTCASE A: A CIVIL WAR Possible roles of multinational business Possible roles of local business Possible roles for terrorists Possible roles for various kinds of criminals Possible roles for non-state armed groups Possible roles for NGOs, external+national Possible roles for civil society groups Possible roles for families+individuals

TESTCASE B: A BIG NATURAL DISASTER Roles for multinationals? Roles for other business? Roles for terrorists? Roles for criminals? Roles for NGOs? Roles for civil society groups? Roles for individuals?’