Introduction

Abstract

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, both state and non-state actors of International Relations are facing the need to find their place in reality, which appears to be increasingly unclear. The ongoing process of ‘re-configuration of the anarchic character of international environment’ has begun to unfold. This process is articulated by unprecedented heterogeneity of entities operating ‘across’ state borders, and not ‘within their limits’. It has been accompanied the emergence of many equivalent decision-making centres which base their actions on pluralism, co-operation and departure from hierarchical relations between territorial and non-territorial actors. ‘Re-configuration’ is accompanied by the idea of governance. It is linked more with controlling than governing, and so with a wide range of processes is used to co-ordinate decision-making and implement certain policies. It is worth noting that governance consists in the adaptation of individual and collective methods of solving common issues, so as to find solutions to continually emerging conflicts, mitigate differences in interests and, as a consequence, to broaden the field of possible co-operation between heterogeneous entities. Various formal and informal institutions play a key role here. Their intentions may become a catalyst of group activity (Commission, 1995: 2).