What is a non-governmental organization (NGO)?

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a legally constituted organization created by private persons or organizations with no participation or representation of any government. It is usually non-profit. Examples include Amnesty International, The Peace Corps, and the Royal Society for Protection and Care to Animals (RSPCA). NGOs can be organized on a local, national or international level (INGO), but only the latter are included in the Yearbook of International Organizations.

For more on INGOs, see:

• Our FAQ titled What is an international non-governmental organization (INGO)?
• The Wikipedia entry titled Non-governmental Organizations
• An academic article on debates about civil society, including different types of NGO and the implications of these different definitions, entitled "NGOs and Civil Society: Some Realities and Distortions". Written by Anthony Judge, part A appeared in a paper titled "Policy Options for Civil Society through Complementary Contrasts to a Seminar on State and Society" presented at the Russian Public Policy Center (Moscow, 6-8 December 1994) under the auspices of the Council of Europe. It was published in UIA's journal Transnational Associations in 1995, volume 47, edition 3, pages 156-180.
• UIA's page on International non-governmental organizations.