The Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) for the International Monetary Fund/World Bank Group 2016 Spring Meetings will convene in Washington DC from Monday, April 11 to Friday, April 15 2016.  The CSPF offers an important opportunity for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to engage with World Bank and IMF staff, their peers, and government delegations on a wide range of topics.

A core component of the CSPF are some 40, mainly CSO-organized policy dialogue sessions that will run concurrently from the afternoon of Tuesday, April 12 to Friday, April 15. CSOs interested in organizing sessions were asked to submit their requests during the call for proposals which ran from Monday, February 1 to Friday, February 26, 2016 and is now closed.

The following guidelines informed the selection of sessions:

1. CSPF Themes: The CSPF aims to cover a diverse range of topics with priority given to those that are thematically relevant to the work of the World Bank Group and the IMF, and which invite debate beyond the focus of one civil society organization or country.
2. Session Proposals: In order to promote inclusiveness and global CSO participation, we encourage each CSO to limit its proposal to one session per organization and/or work jointly with other CSOs and regional partners, to co-organize a session that showcases a variety of perspectives on the specified topic. Sessions run concurrently throughout the day and can be organized solely, or with other entities, by CSOs, the Bank, and the Fund.
   
   Please note that in recent years demand for sessions has been much higher than the total number of slots available. We cannot guarantee that your proposal will be accepted, but will do our best to accommodate as many requests as possible, within the available slots. Therefore, we may ask you to collaborate with other CSOs who have submitted similar proposals.
3. Session Format: We encourage and seek to identify CSO-proposed sessions that promote dynamic and interactive discussions. Thematic relevance/prominence and expected audience numbers will be the primary determining factors for session room selection.

An initial session schedule will be posted on March 15, 2016, and linked to the 2016 Spring Meetings main events website.

Once their sessions are confirmed on the schedule, CSO representatives are responsible for promoting their own sessions within their CSO networks and among the attendants at the Spring Meetings.

To ensure the timely processing of your registration, we strongly encourage you and your potential panel participants to register early.

If you have any questions regarding this call for proposals, please contact us by email at: civilsociety@worldbank.org (World Bank) or NGOliaison@IMF.org (IMF).

Please find links to the schedule for the Civil Society Policy Forum below. Session descriptions and room numbers are included:

Full Schedule (pdf)

CSPF sessions on Tuesday, April 12 (pdf)

CSPF sessions on Wednesday, April 13 (pdf)

CSPF sessions on Thursday, April 14 (pdf)

CSPF sessions on Friday, April 15 (pdf)

Sessions took place in the Civil Society Space of the Spring Meetings (World Bank Group, Second floor, I  Building, 1850 I St. N.W., Washington DC) and were open to all participants who were accredited to the 2016 Spring Meetings.

The 2016 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group  will be held from April 15 – 17, 2016. The Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF), a program of events including policy dialogue sessions for civil society organizations (CSOs) took place from Monday, April 11 to Friday, April 17, 2016. The CSPF was only open to CSO representatives who had been accredited to the 2016 Spring Meetings.

CSO Registration Process

All CSO representatives interested in participating in the Spring Meetings and the Civil Society Policy Forum must obtain individual accreditation.  The online registration system was open from Wednesday, February 17 through Friday, April 1, 2016.

All CSO applications go through an initial review by the Civil Society Team of the World Bank Group to ensure that the applicants represent CSOs involved in international development policy operations and/or dialogue on issues relevant to the work of the Bank Group and IMF. 

Once this criteria is met, applications are reviewed by the relevant Executive Directors' offices (based on the country where the CSO is based or mainly operates and/or the nationality of the requester) for clearance. The Executive Director’s clearance is a requirement for all external participants at the Meetings.  The Executive Directors have eight working days to review the request for registration. 

At the end of this process, the participant will be notified of the final decision by the Civil Society Team.  There is no limit on the number of applicants from a single organization, but each applicant must apply individually.

CSOs include non-governmental organizations, community groups, labor unions, indigenous peoples movements, faith-based organizations, professional associations, foundations, think tanks, charitable organizations, and other not-for-profit organizations.  Representatives from the private sector, academia or governmental bodies must apply for accreditation through the "Guests" or  other respective registration categories as clarified on the 2016 Spring Meetings website.

Since the applications approval can take up to 21 days, we encourage CSO representatives to apply early to give themselves enough time to make travel and visa arrangements and to ensure that there is enough time to complete the relevant reviews and clearances. 

CSO representatives accredited for the 2016 Spring Meetings were able to participate in all open events were part of the wider 2016 Spring Meetings program of events.

Costs

Registration and participation in the CSPF is free, but please be aware that participants are responsible for covering their own travel, accommodation, and per diem costs. Participants are also responsible for applying for their entry visa to the USA.

Visas

If you need a visa to enter the United States, please request registration as soon as possible, noting that the approval of your registration request can take up to three weeks.  The Bank Group and IMF do not assist with the visa application process in United States Consulates as this is the responsibility of each traveler.

Following registration approval, you can use your confirmation email as evidence of the purpose of your visit to Washington during your visa interview.  The Bank Group and IMF will not be responsible for delays in visa processing.

Hotels and Transportation From/To Airports

CSO representatives attending the meetings are expected to arrange for their own air and local transportation and accommodation in Washington DC. However, for the convenience of Spring Meetings participants, a number of rooms have been blocked off at several hotels. Reservations are subject to availability. For a list of these hotels, please send an email to housing@worldbank.org. All reservations into the WBG/IMF block must be made prior to 18 March, 2016.

For more information on ground transportation in DC, please see our CSO Participants Guide which will be posted in coming weeks.

ID Badge Pick-Up

The Spring Meetings Registration Center will be located on the ground floor of the World Bank I Building (1850 I Street, N.W) and badges will be available for pick up from Monday, April 11 through Sunday, April 17. Following your arrival in Washington DC, please visit the Registration Center to receive your identification badge and information package. The registration badge provides access to all WBG and IMF buildings during this week.

Important: Please bring a copy of the registration confirmation letter that you will receive following the approval of your registration as you will need this to receive your Spring Meeting badges.

Civil Society Meeting Rooms/Work Spaces

CSPF policy dialogue sessions will take place in the CSO Center on the second floor of the World Bank I Building (1850 I Street NW) in the following conference rooms I2-210, I2-220, I2-250. A CSO meeting room (I2-440) for smaller meetings (max 15) can also be reserved in order of application. Please contact us via e-mail if you would like to reserve the meeting room or have any questions about the CSO Center.

A networking space with ten internet connected laptop computers, and a copy machine will be available for use during the meetings. There is Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the Center and in all WBG buildings.