Non-governmental organization

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group which is organized on a local, national or international level. There is some concern about the capacity and legitimacy of NGOs to act as pseudo-democratic representatives of groups such as children or the poor. Governments may form partnerships with NGOs that do not necessarily involve a migration of political authority away from existing power holders towards citizens. For example, in cooperating with governments to investigate child sex tourism, NGOs may participate with authoritarian regimes in "police-like" activities. This could compromise their capacity to advocate for civil rights or democratic reforms.