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Civil Society Policy Forum

March 22-April 11, 2021

Virtual

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Starting on March 22 and through April 2, you will be able to follow the sessions virtually. Sessions hosted by the World Bank Group will be livestreamed here. Sessions hosted by the International Monetary Fund will be livestreamed on their website: https://www.imf.org/cso

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  • FULL PROGRAM
    **Subject to change**
    Sessions will be livestreamed on this page or on the IMF site.
    Please note that in order to participate in the CSPF and interact with panelists, you will have to be registered to the 2020 Annual Meetings.


    In addition to the forum, the following meetings have been arranged for CSOs to interact with Management at the IMF and World Bank Group, registration to attend and actively participate in these meetings is required.

    Towards a more equal and green recovery: a civil society conversation with IMF's head of policy and strategy: Join Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, Director of the IMF Strategy, Policy and Review Department for a conversation with civil society on how the IMF can help its members get out of this crisis and build fairer, greener, and smarter economies. The conversation will be moderated by Nadia Daar, Head of Oxfam International's Washington DC office, and you will have the opportunity to ask Ceyla your questions in a 45 minute question and answer (Q&A) session. Friday, March 26 9:30 - 10:30am (Washington, D.C. time)

    CSO Roundtable with World Bank Group Executive Directors will take place on Thursday, April 8, 2021 from 10:00 to 11:00 am (Washington, D.C. time).

  • MULTIMEDIA

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    An introduction to the World Bank Group (WBG) for civil society

    Join Angelica Silvero, Head, World Bank Speakers Bureau and IFC expert (TBC), as they run you through an introduction for civil society organizations on the World Bank Group, its structure, mandate, how it works and how it is helping countries in the context of the current pandemic. You will have the opportunity to ask questions during a 30-minute question and answer session. Jill Wilkins, Director, Partnerships & Practice Groups, External and Corporate Relations, World Bank, will deliver opening remarks. N.B: this session is not aimed for experts on the Bank Group, but for those who are starting to work in this context and are interested in developing their knowledge for their thematic or country work.

    MULTIMEDIA

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    Closing civic space: facing the risk for World Bank-supported Covid-19 Responses head-on

    The World Bank is supporting Covid-19 responses of governments that have been using the pandemic as an excuse to restrict civic space. These restrictions are silencing the independent watchdogs of these responses. This session will discuss the extent of the issue and explore what the Bank can do about it.

    MULTIMEDIA

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    Improvements for the implementation of the social and environmental safeguards of the IFIs from the indigenous proposal

    The threats faced by indigenous peoples in contexts of implementation of IFIS loans, mainly in the Amazon Basin, will be evidenced. Proposing to rethink the Bank's socio-environmental safeguards that include proposals such as prior consultation protocols, the Escazú Agreement, among others of importance.

    MULTIMEDIA

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    Universal access to healthcare: lessons learned from Public-Private Partnerships

    COVID-19 hit weak and under-funded public health systems around the world harder and showed market failure in private healthcare: we need to draw lessons and look forward. This interactive session will look at the impacts of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the health sector, especially for women and the poorest communities.

    MULTIMEDIA

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    An economic future for whom? The Cascade/MFD and recovery

    This session aims to tackle the WBG’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which is focused on private finance-driven interventions in economic “restructuring” and “recovery”. It will discuss coherence of the Cascade/MFD approach with climate imperatives and inclusion, current country lessons, and recommendations for a transformative, people-centered and sustainable development.

    MULTIMEDIA

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    Toward a People’s Vaccine: The role of the World Bank in ensuring universal and equitable COVID-19 vaccines for all

    Nine out of 10 people living in the poorest countries may not access a COVID-19 vaccine this year. While wealthy countries rush to buy up doses, developing countries are unable to secure sufficient vaccines for their populations and are being shut out of the technology that would allow them to produce their own. This event will explore the role of the World Bank and its $12 billion COVID-19 vaccines program; and look at how it can promote technology transfer, overcome barriers to free and universal vaccine access, ensure marginalized groups are prioritized, and build health systems to deliver on vaccines for all.

    MULTIMEDIA

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    Development Policy Finance: Critical Concerns surrounding Accountability and Outcomes for People and the Climate

    The World Bank relies heavily on Development Policy Finance (DPF) to address COVID recovery and the climate crisis. DPFs provide billions to government budgets, but only after the adoption of policy reforms known as Prior Actions. The panel will discuss consequences for: social services, climate goals, public finance, and governance.

    MULTIMEDIA

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    Anti-corruption collective actions, what have we learned? Lessons from the ground

    Since the launch of the World Bank guidelines in 2008, a myriad of CSOs has engaged in facilitating anticorruption collective actions. This session brings specialists from 4 countries who have hands-on experience to discuss the challenges of putting these guidelines into practice.

    MULTIMEDIA

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    How could the World Bank Group accelerate efforts to be fossil free?

    This roundtable will explore the World Bank Group's current fossil fuel investments and examine the pace of progress to phase out fossil fuel investment and alignment with the Paris Agreement. Speakers will highlight the Group’s response to date and, ultimately, identify opportunities for the Group to accelerate fossil fuel phase out.

    MULTIMEDIA

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    Education financing to reach the most marginalized: Challenges and solutions during COVID-19 response and recovery

    COVID-19 has affected the education of over one billion people – with girls, children with disabilities, and children in emergencies critically impacted. The World Bank projects a potential 10% cut in education budgets. Urgent action is needed to protect and increase education budgets, and to ensure inclusive, quality education for all.

    MULTIMEDIA

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    Citizen Engagement in Practice: Lessons from monitoring of citizen engagement implementation in World Bank funded Projects in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda

    Since 2014 the World Bank has instituted high-profile actions to strengthen citizen voice in projects including a “citizen engagement (CE) mainstreaming commitment” establishing minimums for CE and developing the Strategic Framework to provide guidance for how projects can cultivate community response capacity and be more receptive to their inputs. CSOs members of the pan-African network have monitored how projects in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda are implementing CE. The session will share their findings and lessons learnt, provide insights for civil society, governments, the World Bank and others.

    MULTIMEDIA

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    Assessment of The World Bank's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the MENA region (English)

    Arab Watch Coalition members around the MENA region will entail Citizen Engagement in the World Bank emergency response to the COVID19 crisis. Panelists from Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen and Lebanon will highlight the main findings of the studies they’ve conducted and will draw lessons from the realities on the ground.

    MULTIMEDIA

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    Assessment of The World Bank's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the MENA region (Arabic)

    Arab Watch Coalition members around the MENA region will entail Citizen Engagement in the World Bank emergency response to the COVID19 crisis. Panelists from Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen and Lebanon will highlight the main findings of the studies they’ve conducted and will draw lessons from the realities on the ground.

  • The Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) has become an integral part of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group Spring and Annual Meetings, providing an open space for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to dialogue and exchange views with World Bank Group and IMF staff, their peers, government delegations, and other stakeholders on a wide range of topics.

    The call for proposals for the 2021 Spring Meetings CSPF closed on Monday, February 8, 2021 at 9 am Washington D.C. time. 

    What are CSOs?

    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 category as clarified on the main 2021 Spring Meetings website.

  • Registration for the 2021 Spring Meetings closed on Monday, March 22.

    Civil Society Organization (CSO) representatives are invited to register for the 2021 Spring Meetings which are scheduled to take place virtually from April 5 - 11, 2021. Registration will close on March 22, 2020, at 5 PM EDT.

    Costs

    Registration and participation in the Annual Meetings and Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) is free. Unfortunately, we have come across some entities offering to register participants for a fee. If you come across any such entity, please report them to civilsociety@worldbank.org so we can take appropriate action.

    Application Process

    All CSO applications go through an initial review by the Civil Society Team of the World Bank Group to ensure that the applicants represent relevant Civil Society Organizations. (See "What are CSOs?" paragraph in the overview page). Applications are then 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). Once approved, participants will be notified by email of the final decision. There is no limit on the number of applicants from a single organization, but each applicant must apply individually.

    Since the review and approval process can take up to 21 days, we encourage CSOs to apply early to allow for the relevant reviews and clearances.

  • Ensuring that civil society can continue to engage and dialogue with World Bank and IMF remains a priority for the two institutions. Thus, in cooperation with the Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) Working Group, we are launching the call for proposals for a virtual CSPF to take place over the course of the weeks (March 22 - April 2, 2021) directly preceding the Spring Meetings (April 5 - 11, 2021) in the morning in Washington D.C (EDT)

    The call for porposals closed on February 8, 2021 at 9 am Washington, D.C. time.

    Session organizers will be notified if their session has been selected for inclusion in the CSPF, prior to posting the preliminary CSPF program schedule online.

    Due to the virtual nature of this year’s CSPF and the need to organize sessions at a reasonable time for participants in several time zones, the number of sessions we are able to accommodate will be limited. We will have space for roughly 10-15 sessions, and thus cannot guarantee that every proposal will be accepted. For this reason, we ask that each organization sponsor only one session. Proposals jointly sponsored with other CSOs – especially from different regions of the world – are highly encouraged.

    If you want to submit a joint proposal, and/or would like to work on your proposal offline, you will have to follow these two steps:

    STEP 1Proposal form (for drafting)
     Download this Word version of the submission form to work on your proposal offline with your colleagues or network/partners.
    STEP 2Proposal form (for final submission)
     The deadline for submitting a session proposal is Monday, February 8, 2021 by 9:00 AM (Washington, D.C. time). 

     

     

     

  • CSPF WORKING GROUP SELECTION
    In July of 2019, we announced the opening of the Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) Working Group Election. The call for candidates to become members of the working group was held from August 22 to September 30, 2019. The voting process was open from October 18 through the 31.
    SELECTION CRITERIA 
    VOTING RESULTS

    WORKING GROUP MEMBERS
    The CSPF Working Group members will serve two-year terms, starting on January 1, 2020. You can find their biographies and terms of reference below. 
    CSPF WORKING GROUP 2020-2022 
    TERMS OF REFERENCE

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