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What is the role of NGOs at the United Nations, and, by extension, in global governance? With limited possibilities to measure it directly, this article adopts discursive analysis as an innovative approach to the issue. Analysis of three texts by Global Policy Forum represents an important insight into the question and a tool for further research. It shows that despite the relative increase of their participatory rights at the UN, NGOs seem to realise approaching a point of saturation in what they may demand from the UN in terms of their access and moderate the tone of writing accordingly. Drawing on Global Policy Forum’s example, the article argues that NGOs at the UN appear to have transformed from entities begging for more access to its more equal partners. Most importantly, the article represents a blueprint for further research of role of actors in the international system.