The role of international non-governmental organizations in the protection of human rights

The role of international non-governmental organisations in protection of human rights Summary The aim of this master thesis is to provide a systematic insight into the legal status and the role of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) in protection and promotion of human rights in international law. By means of that, the thesis seeks to answer the question whether the current legal status of INGOs is favourable both for the INGOs themselves and their counterparts at the international level, mainly the states and international governmental organisations. Divided into three parts, the thesis is focused first on the legal definition of INGOs and their legal status in international relations, together with a depiction of their main functions. The illustration of the legal status of INGOs is oriented mainly on the legal regulation within the United Nations and the Council of Europe, two international bodies with the most developped cooperation strategy with INGOs. The theoretic part serves to demonstrate the contrast between a weak formal position and rather informal role of INGOs in international law, which is yet getting more and more important, mainly in the area of protection and promotion of internationally recognised human rights. The second part is a case study of the tendencies mentioned..