Statement from the Civil Society Members of the OGP Steering Committee on the World Bank Evolution Roadmap

On June 15, 2021, the civil society members of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Steering Committee issued a statement calling for a civil society window in the World Bank’s IDA 20 Replenishment, setting aside at least 1% of the replenishment to support independent monitoring by local civil society groups of the full lifecycle of the World Bank’s investments.

On the occasion of the OGP Global Summit being celebrated in Tallinn, Estonia, on 6-7 September 2023, and in view of the upcoming Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the civil society members of the OGP Steering Committee are issuing a follow-up statement on the World Bank Evolution Roadmap. 

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EMPOWERING CIVIL SOCIETY: ENVISIONING COLLABORATIVE TRANSFORMATION IN WORLD BANK INITIATIVES

• The Open Government Partnership (OGP) supports civil society engagement on open government at every level. OGP works in a variety of ways to ensure members of civil society are able to function as a conduit between citizens and their governments to strengthen participation, transparency and accountability.
• In the face of the ongoing global polycrisis, civil society has an important role to play in identifying and delivering solutions to some of the most pressing collective challenges we face– from climate change to economic inequalities to conflict and instability. However, civil society across the world often operates in constrained environments, with restricted civic space and limited financial resources.
• As discussions around the World Bank (Bank) evolution process continue, the OGP Steering Committee civil society cohort calls upon the Bank to rethink, expand and finance the involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the Bank’s work, including through the proposed expansion of financing by IDA and the IBRD.
• OGP’s extensive experience working in 76 countries and 104 local jurisdictions demonstrates that CSOs have a significant role to play in development. Although in principle the Bank supports participation by local CSOs in its financing and country engagement activities, this approach is not embedded systematically in all aspects of the Bank’s work.
• OGP provides frameworks and plans for the co-creation of commitments between civil society and governments. Reforms generated through a co-creation process have in-built citizen engagement that are particularly empowering for groups that typically face social and political exclusion. The Bank should actively use the country-owned platforms and partnerships that OGP and other similar multilateral efforts provide to enhance citizen participation and oversight in Bank projects and begin to address issues related to closing civic space and the restriction of rights.
• We also call upon the Bank to (re) articulate clear roles for citizens and CSOs in its financing and policy engagement at the country level and ensure support for civil society. We call on it to:
  1. Update the citizen engagement framework through public consultations; issue a statement to clarify its policies for collaboration with CSOs; reinstate staff guidance for CSO engagement; clearly identify and ensure sufficient funding within projects for CSO support of design and implementation; use existing country owned-platforms like OGP to enhance citizen and civil society participation and oversight in Bank projects; carry out meaningful civic space assessments to inform decision-making; and include appropriate indicators in the proposed redesign of the corporate scorecard to track tangible citizen and CSO engagement and civic space.
  2. Establish a facility dedicated to financing local CSOs’ participation in activities not funded from IDA and IBRD-supported operations. This would include financing for CSO participation in country engagement activities and in multi-stakeholder platforms, CSO capacity building, and third-party monitoring by CSOs to improve results and prevent financial leakages due to waste, fraud and corruption. A PTF study estimates the facility would need an annual allocation of between $60 million and $225 million for IDA operations. These additional costs would be more than offset if oversight activities prevent and/or expose as little as 1% of financial leakages in the Bank’s financing portfolio.
• Enhanced CSO engagement in Bank-supported operations– and the proposed funding facility– would provide significant social, economic, and financial benefits by expanding implementation mechanisms and improving delivery of development outcomes. It would supplement government efforts; enhance inclusion, trust in government, and localization; generate better results and greater accountability through independent CSO monitoring; and prevent waste, fraud and corruption through oversight activities. More broadly, it would reinforce our collective goal to ensure more open governance through co-creation and partnership.
• We as OGP Steering Committee civil society members believe that the time is right to take bold actions to rapidly expand citizen and CSO engagement in the World Bank’s work. We call for serious consideration of these proposals during the forthcoming discussions of the Bank’s Evolution proposals at the Bank Annual Meetings and IDA Mid-Term Review meetings.

Endorsed by the Open Government Partnership Civil Society Steering Committee:

• Natalia Carfi, Executive Director, Open Data Charter
• Anabel Cruz, Founder and Director, ICD Uruguay
• Aidan Eyakuze, Executive Director, Twaweza
• Juan Carlos Fernandez Andrade, Open government and Public Innovation Coordinator, Fundación Corona
• Eka Gigauri, Executive Director, Transparency International Georgia
• Blair Glencorse, Co-CEO, Accountability Lab
• Lysa John, Secretary-General, CIVICUS
• Zukiswa Kota, Programme Head – South Africa, Public Service Accountability Monitor
• Lucy McTernan, Chair, Scottish Open Gov Network
• Stephanie Muchai, Program Director, International Lawyers Project
• Luben Panov, Senior Program Advisor, European Center for Not-for-Profit Law
• Douglas Rutzen, President and CEO, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law
• Barbara Schreiner, Executive Director, Water Integrity Network

• Partnership for Transparency – United States
• Iniciativa Regional Rendir Cuentas – Uruguay
• Instituto de Comunicacion y Desarrollo (ICD) – Uruguay
• International Engagement Consultant – United States
• All for Education! National Civil Society Coalition – Mongolia
• Md. Shahin Kauser – Bangladesh
• Gilbert Sendugwa, Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) – Uganda
• Tania Sanchez Directora de la Coordinadora de la Mujer en Bolivia – Bolivia
• YOUTH ORGANIZATION FOR HOPE AND CARE ZANZIBAR – Tanzania
• UTTHAN – Bangladesh
• Institute for Governance Reform (IGR) – Sierra Leone
• International Society for Peace and Safety – Nigeria
• RACI Argentina – Argentina
• André Rock, Président Fondateur du Réseau International des Citoyens pour l’Environnement (RICE) – Congo
• Korron-Scientific Community Based Care for Social, Health & Human Empowerment Initiative – Nigeria
• MacDonald Munyoro; National Association of Youth Organizations (NAYO) – Zimbabwe
• WeCare Organization – Kenya
• Isa kwambo Dagona/ Social Development International SODEIT – Nigeria
• Association/ONG OPEN Mali – Mali
• Qumen women dev Assstion – International
• Comité d’Alerte et de Veille pour le financement de la santé – Senegal
• Damaris Aswa- Youth4 Integrity Building (YIB) – Kenya
• Aminul Hoque, COAST Foundation. Bangladesh. – Bangladesh
• Aminul Hoque, Secretariat Coordinator-Equity & Justice Working Group [EquityBD] – Bangladesh
• VSO – Kenya
• Mesud Gebeyehu, Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations (CEHRO) – Ethiopia
• Mesud Gebeyehu, Executove Director, Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Orgsnizations (CEHRO) – Ethiopia
• International Youth Association TIP – Georgia
• Global Integrity – United States
• Circular Initiatives Roadmap (CIR) – Estonia
• Sammy Obeng – Executive Director, Parliamentary Network Africa – Ghana
• Mange Ram Adhana President Association For Promotion Sustainable Development – India
• Olie Lucas – Philippines
• Nasrulla Nurullayev Chairman, Care for the elderly intelectuals PU – Azerbaijan
• Muhammad Sani Kassim – Nigeria
• Zéro Pauvre Afrique – Guinea
• Network of Estonian Non-profit Organizations – Estonia
• Code for Africa (CfA) – South Africa
• Justin Arenstein, CEO, Code for Africa (CfA) – South Africa
• Jonathan Osei Owusu, POS Foundation – Ghana
• Javier Pérez – director of Political Watch – Spain
• Directorio Legislativo – Argentina
• Elaine Ford / Democracia Digital – Peru
• Mohammed Mominul Haque, Peace And Justice Alliance – Canada
• International Youth Council-Yemen (IYCY) – Yemen
• YOTA – Youth Opportunity and Transformation in Africa – Ghana
• Water integrity network – Germany
• Fundación Ciudadanía y Desarrollo (FCD) – Ecuador
• Proetica Peru – Peru
• WISE-DEF – Nigeria
• COMMUNITY AGENDA FOR PEACE – Nigeria
• Edetaen Ojo, Media Rights Agenda – Nigeria
• Rural Area Development Programme (RADP) – Nepal
• Community Focus Group (CFG) – Kenya
• Global Peace and Development Organization – Liberia
• Integrity Action – International
• ARTICLE 19 WEST AFRICA – Senegal
• Dr Raymond Ishaya Daspan CSO Extractive Industry Transparency – Nigeria
• Amb. Idris Ozovehe Muraina, Co-Chair Kogi State OGP and Chairperson Kogi NGOs Network (KONGONET) – Nigeria
• CONSTRUISONS ENSEMBLE LE MONDE – Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Azeez Tajudeen/ Human, Environmental and Leadership Prevalent Center (HELP Center) – Nigeria
• International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre (IPCRC) – Nigeria
• Said Essoulami Centre for Media Freedom – Morocco
• Pandita Development Institute – Myanmar
• Ms Elcena Jeffers MBE, ELCENA JEFFERS FOUNDATION – United Kingdom
• Alianza Regional por la Libre Expresión e Información – Argentina
• Krisoker Sor (Farmers’ Voice) – Bangladesh
• Global Standard Partnership – International
• Mina Mensah ; Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Africa – Ghana
• Fundapi – Ecuador
• Int’l Center for Peace Charities and Human Development(INTERCEP) – Nigeria
• Action for Economic Reforms – Philippines
• Kingsley Agu (Connected Development, CODE) – Nigeria
• Hamzat Lawal (Connected Development, CODE) – Nigeria
• Rupantar – Bangladesh
• Youth for Social Development – India
• Seydina Mouhamadou Ndiaye – Collectif des Volontaires du Sénégal (CODEVS) – Senegal
• Benin Environment and Education Society (BEES) – Benin
• Policy Alert – Nigeria
• ONG ACTION DURABLE TOGO – Togo
• Tunde SALMAN/Good Governance Team Nigeria – Nigeria
• Carolyn Reynolds, Pandemic Action Network – International
• Tearfund UK – International
• Restorative civil society of Bangladesh – Bangladesh
• Transparency International – Lebanon – Lebanon
• Civil Society Advocacy Network on Climate Change and the Environment Sierra Leone (CAN-SL) – Sierra Leone
• Action pour la Justice Environnementale – Senegal
• AWTAD Organization for Combating Corruption – Yemen
• Lawrencia Ngari – Nigeria
• Integrity Watch – International
• Aryanto Nugroho – National Coordinator of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia – Indonesia
• Ridhiwani Kazee Sadiki – Kenya
• Fundamental Human Rights & Rural Development Association FHRRDA – Pakistan
• BANLIEUES DU MONDE MAURITANIE – Mauritania
• Ghana Integrity Initiaitve (GII) – Ghana
• Open Technologies Alliance – GFOSS – Greece
• Jessica Estrada – FUNDE / TI El Salvador – El Salvador
• Partnership for Transparency – Netherlands
• Faith Nwadishi/ Centre for Transparency Advocacy – Nigeria
• NPTA Philippines Inc (Nationwide PTA) – Philippines
• Community And Family Aid Foundation – Ghana
• ELLAS Mujeres y Filantropía – International
• Transparencia X Colombia – Colombia
• Felm – Finland
• Grupo Propuesta Ciudadana – Peru
• Centro de Estudios y Apoyo al Desarrollo Local Local – Bolivia
• Álvaro V. Ramírez-Alujas, Observatorio del Gasto Fiscal (OGF) – Chile
• Julio López Troncoso – Consultor Independiente – Mexico
• Asociación Honduras Diversa – Honduras
• Dakshina AC – Mexico
• Zukiswa Kota – South Africa
• UNITAS – Bolivia
• Desco – Peru
• PEOPLES FEDERATION FOR NATIONAL PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT (PEFENAP) – Malawi
• Nyasha Chidzero – Zimbabwe
• People Powered – International
• Jade Propuestas Sociales y Alternativas al Desarrollo – Mexico
• Alianza ONG – Dominican Republic
• One More Percent – Kenya
• Trust Democracy – New Zealand
• Centro de Innovación Social CIS Univ SA – Argentina
• Transparent Governance PU – Azerbaijan
• Femmes Bladi – Morocco
• Fondation des femmes du moyen Atlas – Morocco
• Centre lexouce des chercheur de la jenesse – Morocco
• Association atlas haouz pour le renforcement des capacités – Morocco
• Le Centre Marocain pour la Jeunesse et les Transitions Démocratiques – Morocco
• Association al amal pour le développement social et culturel – Morocco
• Instance équité, égalité de chance et approche genre – Morocco
• Association Atlas al haouz pour le renforcement des capacités – Morocco
• Réseau Nigérien Anti-Corruption – Niger
• Institut pour la gouvernance et éducation electorale – DRC
• Tilelli culture et arts – Morocco
• Association fonon el ayadi – Morocco
• Association Citoyennete et Libertes – Tunisia
• Maçon de l’Education – Niger
• Forum compétence pour le développement et la démocratie – Morocco
• L’observatoire régional pour l’orientation et l’emploi – Morocco
• Observatoire des jeunes – Morocco
• Les Mêmes Droits pour Tous – Guinea
• Association tafaoul handecaps jerada – Cote d’Ivoire
• Centre for Media Freedom – Morocco
• SOFEJA, (Solidarité des Femmes et Jeunes Entrepreneurs en Afrique – Democratic Republic of the Congo
• FONDATION DU HAUT ATLAS POUR L’ORIENTAL – Morocco
• L’observatoire pour la protection de l’environnement et les monuments historiques de Tanger – Morocco
• Observatoire pour la protection de l’environnement et les monument historiques de tanger – Morocco
• AMCDD – Morocco
• RENPES – Senegal
• BEOG NEERE – Burkina Faso
• Réseau national des pairs éducateurs du Sénégal – Senegal
• Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) – Uganda
• Centre Marocain pour le Droit d’Accès à l’information – Morocco
• Association Timoulilt pour le Développement – Morocco
• Institut pour la gouvernance et éducation electorale IGE – Democratic Republic of the Congo
• AMC (Association Marocaine Chantiers-écoles pour le développement) – Morocco
• Jeune Chambre Internationale – Congo
• RMLD – Morocco
• Enda Lead – Senegal
• ARTICLE 19 Afrique de l’Ouest – Senegal
• Aide, Assistance et développement communautaire de Côte d’Ivoire (ADC-CI) -Cote d’Ivoire
• ARTICLE 19 Senegal and West Africa – Senegal
• Lejepad – Guinea
• Association des arts de l’oasis pour le développement intégré – Morocco
• GoAcT – Tunisia
• Amid Vision – Tunisia
• Aya Association for People with Special Needs, Women and Children in Jerada -Morocco
• Enlighten – Morocco
• Warsh Al -Khair Association for Development and Culture – Morocco
• Al -Ashaa Association for the Development of Child and Women Ain Bani Mutahar  – Morocco
• Umm Al -Qura Association for Social, Cultural and Environmental Development in the strait – Morocco
• For youth (Forsh Shabab) – Morocco
• Al -Ashaa Association for the Development of Child and Women Ain Bani Mutahar – Morocco
• Ikhlas Association for Sustainable Development in Beni Ansar – Morocco
• Women’s Dialogue Association – Morocco
• Participation – Morocco
• The National Union Association Self -Contractors Zagora Branch – Morocco
• Al -Wahda Association for Women and Children’s Care in a difficult situation – Morocco
• Namibia Media Trust – Namibia
• Transparency International – International
• NASEER KAMAL – Canada