Neglect of international nongovernmental organization network

The major IGOs have specific mandates which tend to de-emphasize any need to relate to other organizations, whether IGO or INGO, having related programme concerns. As a result, little attention, if any, is given by them to the importance of improving the inter-organizational structure focusing on a network of related problems. Where outside contacts are made by the IGO, they are made because a project can best be completed by a specific INGO, for example. The possibility that by facilitating the development and operation on the INGO network as a whole it might not even be necessary for the IGO to initiate many of the specific projects, is not considered.

It is of course a characteristic of all organizations to wish to undertake projects for which it can obtain immediate credit, rather than projects which ensure that other bodies undertake whatever tasks appear necessary. At the present time there is insufficient consensus within IGOs for any policy change to remedy this. This applies particularly to the relations between bodies within the United Nations system, whether: within different divisions of a particular secretariat (such as the Office of Public Information or NGO Liaison Section); between bodies reporting to the UN General Assembly (for example, ECOSOC and UNDP); between bodies reporting to different plenary bodies, despite ECOSOC's mandate to review such relationships (like FAO and UNESCO).