What role do non-state actors play in the democratic process? Discuss.

Non-State Actors (NSA's) continue to play a crucial role in the democratic process of any country.  For Pacific NSA's, their role as a partner in Pacific development is highlighted in the Cotonou Agreement. Development driven actions under the 10th Development Fund (2008-2013), are sourced from the European Development Fund (EDF) and the budget of the European Commission. Pacific Regional Programme: Under the Pacific Regional Programme the EU has overall allocated a total of 472.9 million euro (in total) to be implemented through the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS) for the period 2008-2013.  For regional NSA's: the allocation is 3 to 4 million euro. Table A below (I have requested SOCS for this table; allocate space for this) has a breakdown of the allocation for NSA's for country specific programmes under the non focal sectors for the period 2008-2013.

EU maintains dialogue with Non State Actors:  In recognition of civil society's role under the Cotonou Agreement, the EU through its Delegations in Fiji, Samoa, and New Caledonia, continues to maintain regular dialogue with civil service partners directly, or through its own delegations within the region 

disseminating key and relevant information informing NSA's on EU policies and strategies for the Pacific and call for proposals,  to enhance their work on the ground as outlined in the Cotonou Agreement.

Non-state actors (NSAs) have a stake in the healthy functioning of the multilateral trading system. NSAs are expected to present their concerns to the WTO through their respective governments. In recent years the WTO has made efforts to better reach out to NSAs while preserving its fundamental nature as an intergovernmental organization. For example, the WTO Public Forum is open to all participants, most WTO documents are publicly available, and regular WTO briefings are held for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and parliamentarians. Hearings in some dispute settlement proceedings have also been opened to the public upon agreement among the parties. Despite these developments, the effectiveness of NSA participation remains debatable.