Introduction
In recent years, the United Nations and other multilateral organizations have joined activists, nongovernmental organizations, human rights treaty committees, national governments, transnational courts, and foundations to form a matrix of networks that use human rights as the basis for global governance. In place of more traditional and widely recognized civil and political rights, this matrix of human rights governance networks promotes the recognition, enforcement, and funding of a wide range of ambiguous economic, social, and cultural rights. This section tracks the continuing development and adaptation of this network and its implications for national sovereignty.
Transnational Bodies
Beyond the United Nations, the widespread proliferation of transnational organizations has resulted in the development of a matrix of human rights governance networks, the purpose of which is the promotion of ambiguous economic, social, and cultural rights. These networks, which include advocacy, research, policy, standards-setting, interpretative, explanatory, implementation, assessment, enforcement, and funding networks, are complex adaptive organisms evolving and operating on a global scale. The participants in these networks include international organizations, non-governmental organizations, research institutes, policy centers, and universities, state and national legislatures and parliaments, courts, and foundations.
