The Role of International NGOs in the Regulation of Some Sociopolitical Issues in Modern Russia

In this paper the author examines the particularities of international non-governmental organizations’ (INGOs) activities in Russia, we are particularly interested in their role in the regulation of problems dealing with public interest. Applying the theory of social constructivism, we suppose that INGOs are the actors of civil society that can detect social problems and elevate them to the national level. In the first chapter we study the particularities of INGOs that are common for all the international non-profit sector’s actors. In the second chapter we describe the national and international political and legal contexts that influence the work of INGOs in Russia. Finally, the third chapter is dedicated to a case-study: we examine the activity of INGOs in Russia in three most important public interest sectors: humanitarian aid, anticorruption and human rights defense (Doctors without boarders, Transparency International — Russia and Amnesty International respectively). In the end the author makes the following conclusion: although the non-profit sector is poorly developed in Russia and INGOs do not have access to decision-making process, they still play important role in the regulation of sociopolitical problems. Acting on behalf of civil society, they translate the needs of the people and attract the attention of both international community and the government itself, thereafter participating in the creation of the agenda. Key words: public international law, international non-governmental organizations, non-profit sector, civil society, social constructivism, public interest