Non-state Actors As Standard Setters

This analysis of 'globalised' standard-setting processes draws together insights from law, political sciences, sociology and social anthropology to assess the authority and accountability of non-state actors and the legitimacy and effectiveness of the processes. The essays offer new understandings of current governance problems, including environmental and financial standards, rules for military contractors and complex public-private partnerships, such as those intended to protect critical information infrastructure. The contributions also evaluate multi-stakeholder initiatives (such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative), and discuss the constitution of public norms in stateless areas. A synopsis of the latest results of the World Governance Indicator, arguably one of the most important surveys in the area today, is included.

Anne Peters is Professor of Public International Law and Constitutional Law at the University of Basel and Vice President of the Board of the Basel Institute on Governance. Lucy Koechlin is Head of Public Accountability at the Basel Institute on Governance, and Lecturer of Development Studies at the Institute of Sociology and the Centre for African Studies Basel (CASB), University of Basel, Switzerland. Till Frster is a member of the Board of the Basel Institute on Governance and holds the Chair for Social Anthropology at the University of Basel. He is also Director of the CASB. Gretta Fenner Zinkernagel is a member of the Advisory Board of the Basel Institute on Governance after having been the Institute's Executive Director for three years. She currently advises international organizations and governments on anti-corruption and governance issues.