Taranenko A. Influence of Non-Governmental Organizations on Processes of the Modern World-System Transformation.

The thesis is devoted to the research of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of non-governmental organizations, existing typologies and definitions. As a result of the research forms of NGOs' influence on the current state of the system of international relations were determined, as well as their role in resolving international crises and conflicts. Functions of NGOs as important means of public diplomacy were assessed, considerable change of the NGOs' social and political significance for state sovereignty issues was defined. The author has made a forecast for further evolution of international political influence of non-governmental organizations. The author's definition and classification of NGOs is presented. For the first time in the national political science the issue of NGOs is approached comprehensively. The author has used a system approach, based on an attempt to identify ways of NGOs' influence on the transformation of the modern world-system, in which they gradually acquire the status of an influential actor. For the first time regulatory and functional factors of the non-governmental organizations' activity in the transformational context of the development of the current international relations system were analyzed. The research results show efficiency of their direct influence on complex processes of societies' democratization, which demonstrates the prospect of further strengthening of their role in shaping a new architecture of the world order.