At the International scene, there are many players engaged in what is regarded as the game of international Politics. One of the oldest and universally acknowledged actors on the modern world stage is the state. A state is a type of polity that is an organized political community living under a single system of government. A Political community is referred to as a government responsible for the citizens under the government. It has been earlier assumed that international relations are made up of the relations between states. International relations can be likened to a series of actions that promote interactions between states. Actors are entities that participate in or promote international relations. The two types of actors involved in international relations include State and non-state actors. State actors represent a government while non-state actors do not. However, they have impact on the state actors.
A definition of world politics involving only states as the actors has been challenged since the late 1960s and the early 1970s, since many other actors have become way more involved in the process of international political. Due to this, international relations promotes International pluralism fostering national interactions. The forces of globalization and liberalization in the last three decades of the twentieth century have resulted in a transformation in the world economic structure, thereby undermining the ability of states to govern in full capacity. These great global transformations have had a major influence and have modified the traditional paradigm and theories of international relations, most especially the school of thought of realism due to its basic proposition that actors represent the states, and the states operate a system of anarchy. The realist school of thought has however been criticized for its focus on the state view of international relations and its shallow focus on the problems of war and peace.
IDENTIFICATION AND DEFINITIONS OF ACTORS IN WORLD POLITICS
Actors in world politics, states and non-state actors, per Professor Ryo Osiba of Hitotsubashi University, can be defined as entities which have the following three features:
(a) They should have overall capacity to decide on their purposes and interests.
(b) They should also have the capability to mobilize necessary resources to achieve these purposes and interests and be passionate about appealing for global cooperation.
(c) Their actions should be significant enough to influence the state-to-state relations or the behaviour of other non-state actors in the global system.
Inter-Governmental Organization
Even if states are l the dominant actors on the world stage (which is still an argument), they are not at all the only ones. A group of very important players in the International scene is the intergovernmental organizations otherwise known as the IGOs. Intergovernmental organizations are established by states, most times through a treaty. The most well-known intergovernmental organizations are the United Nations (UN). Some other IGOs include the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Labour Organization, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Maritime Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, World Food Programme, etc.[3]. Since, IGOs only operate by the consent of states, states maintain their sovereignty. Furthermore, most IGOs really do not possess the power to enforce state follow up with their decisions. At least, not without the help of powerful states. For example, since the United States is a permanent member of the UN’s Security Council, along with China, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom, it can veto any substantive UN resolution.
In accordance to liberal institutionalism, states join Intergovernmental Organisations because it is in their interest to do so. Their membership makes certain problems easily solved and at a less cost than without them. Liberal institutionalism particularly, focuses on collective problems, such as the security dilemma, the appeal to execute competitive tariffs, and the difficulty in agreeing to protect the environment. [4] There is a need for States to correspond and work with one other to oversee other states to make sure that they are honouring their commitments to acknowledge many of the problems. For example, in the free trade case, the World Trade Organization was created to coordinate the negotiation of tariffs and to further provide a mechanism and avenue for the resolving of disputes. Some of these tasks will be more expensive and complicated to execute without the IGOs. There are situations where IGOs are not only created to solve problems but to provide platforms for discussion.
Some examples of IGOs and their functions include:
1. United Nations (UN)
Maintain international peace and security. Develop friendly relations among nations. Achieve international cooperation in solving international problems. Function as a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations
2. World Bank
This International Financial Institution works on reducing poverty. It helps developing countries by giving loans.
3. The Group of Eight (G8)
The Group of 8 is made up of the world’s leading industrial countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, USA, and Russia). The head of the G8 countries meet each year to discuss global issues such as world poverty and security.
4. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Military alliance. A system of collective defence where its member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party.

Nongovernmental Organizations
Not all actors play governmental roles in the International scene. Nongovernmental organizations, also called NGOs, are defined as non-profit organizations who advocate or otherwise pursue policies for the good of the public. Nongovernmental organizations are engaged in issues such as human rights humanitarian aid, economic development, and social welfare, among other things. Some well-known NGOs include the Red Cross, Greenpeace, Oxfam, and Amnesty International. Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)
In the 21st century, many people have discovered that by being a part of Non-governmental organizations they could in a way participate in the global system and lobby to influence International organizations. Most have joined as members of one or more NGOs, which are more about members and not states, but have volunteers from populations of two or more states which have formed organizations to promote their shared interests and ideas to influence the policies of state governments and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). NGOs tackle many global problems and seek changes in the world for causes such as disarmament, environmental protection, human rights and many more.
Most pursue objectives that are highly respected and constructive, and therefore do not provoke any controversy or arouse much opposition.
NGOs interact with states, sub-state actors, MNCs, and other NGOs. NGOs are increasingly being recognized in the UN and other forums, as legitimate actors along with states but is not equal to them. Some of the groups have a political purpose, some a humanitarian one, some an economic or a technical one. There are times when NGOs combine efforts through transnational advocacy networks. By joining NGOs, many people found that they could participate in the global system and lobby to influence international organizations. Some examples of NGOs include:
1. Amnesty International
Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all. They conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated. Some of the issues that has been campaign are armed conflict issues and protection of civilians, basic welfare of children, LGBT rights, rights of people with AIDS, women’s rights, disability rights, human impact of pollution and environmental degradation, freedom of the press and many more.
2. Oxfam
An international confederation of 17 organizations networked together in 92 countries, as part of a global movement for change, to build a future free from the injustice of poverty.” The well-known organization works to help eliminate global poverty with long-term and sustainable solutions.
3. AIESEC
Links students worldwide
4. World Wide Fund for Nature
Works on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment) and hundreds and thousands more of NGOs to go.
5. Wikimedia Foundation
Is dedicated to encouraging the growth, development and distribution of free, multilingual content, and to providing the full content of these wiki-based projects to the public free of charge. The Wikimedia Foundation operates some of the largest collaboratively edited reference projects in the world, including Wikipedia, a top-ten internet property.
6. PATH
It stands for Program for Appropriate Technology in Health, work with the private and public sectors to help with advancing technologies to address global health challenges.”

Political Groups that Advocate Violence (Terrorists) – Terrorists or rather political groups that advocate violence might not call themselves NGOs, but they operate in the same manner which are by interacting both with states and with relevant populations and institutions through violence and planning attacks. These groups held great power and can influence the international relations between states[9]. A group that is currently active now is the Al-Qaeda. The incidence on the spectacularly destructive attack of September 11, 2001 by members of Al-Qaeda, has demonstrated the increasing power that technology gives terrorists as non-state actors. Other than that, the Al Qaeda also placed suicide bombers in U.S. cities, coordinate their operations and finances through Internet and global banking system, and reach a global audience with the videotaped exhortations of Osama bin Laden.
International Criminal Groups: These actors are considered as transnational actors but they act in an illegitimate manner. Transnational criminals often operate in well-organized groups, intentionally united to carry out illegal actions. Groups typically involve certain hierarchies and are headed by a powerful leader. These transnational organized crime groups work to make a profit through illegal activities. Because groups operate internationally, their activity is a threat to global security, often weakening governmental institutions or destroying legitimate business endeavors. Most of these groups are involved in drugs, prostitution, human trafficking, firearms and many other crimes. Some examples of international criminal groups would be the Yakuza in Japan, the Sicilian Mafia in Italy and Triads in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and in countries with significant Chinese population.