The term suggests a natural link with Tracks-One and -Two, but the relationship between them is more complex than the terminology implies. Generally speaking, Track-Three refers to the activities and meetings of groups such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), transnational networks, and advocacy coalitions. It is sometimes called “citizens diplomacy”. While Tracks One and Two seek to engage and inform policymakers about specific issues of concern to states, Track-Three is made up of advocates claiming to represent “communities and people who are largely marginalized from the centre of power.” These groups seek to “build constituencies … which can question conventional practices and beliefs and present alternatives to official government positions”. According to Herman Kraft, their “discussions are based on a critical framework with agendas that tend to oppose mainstream government policies.” Consequently, these meetings “are more adversarial than what is usual for a track two forum”.

The label “Track-Three” is a misnomer, in that most of these groups have only an indirect link to the policy process and some reject outright the notion that they are a “track” in any way linked to state-centred institutional arrangements. As Pierre Lizee has noted, many civil society groups have been “reluctant to involve themselves within structures they perceive to be too close to the prevailing centres of power”. Some fear that they will be coopted, which will compromise their independence and autonomy. Conversely, some participants in Track Two have also been wary in their approach to Track Three actors. Given that many Track Three groups advocate causes such as human rights and democratization, their participation in regional security dialogues has often been strongly opposed by non-democratic regimes.

Specific examples of Track Three actors in the Asia-Pacific include the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (Alt-SEAN), the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (known as FORUM-ASIA), Focus on the Global South, the Council for Alternative Security in the Asia-Pacific (CASAP), the Forum on Alternative Security, the Asia Pacific Coalition for East Timor (APCET), and Peace, Disarmament and Symbiosis in the Asia-Pacific (PDSAP).