The World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are inviting applications from interested representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) for participation in the Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) which has become an integral part of the WBG and IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. The Forum provides an open space for CSOs to dialogue and exchange views with Bank and IMF staff, their peers, government delegations, and other stakeholders on a wide range of topics.
The Forum which will be held in Washington DC from October 15 to 18, 2019 includes an orientation session on the World Bank Group; a roundtable discussion with World Bank Group Executive Directors; a CSO Townhall with the WBG President and the IMF Managing Director; and CSO-organized policy dialogue sessions that reflect the diversity of CSO policy concerns, a core component of the CSPF which will run concurrently throughout the Forum.
To be eligible to participate in the CSPF, CSO representatives must have been accredited to attend the 2019 Annual Meetings through online registration available at https://registration.worldbank.org/profile/26867. Registration for civil society representatives which is free is open from July 22 to September 30, 2019.
Participants are responsible for covering their own travel, accommodation, and cost of applying for their entry visa to the USA.
All CSO applications will pass 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.
Applications that meet the criteria 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 Directors have eight working days to review the requests for registration.
Participants will be notified by email of the final decision at the end of this process. Although there is no limit on the number of applicants from a single organization, each applicant must however apply individually.
CSO representatives are encouraged to apply for registration early since the applications approval process can take up to 21 days, to allow for the relevant reviews and clearances, and to give the applicants enough time to make travel and visa arrangements.
The WBG and IMF do not assist applicants with the visa application process in United States Consulates, this is the responsibility of each traveler. Applicants can use their confirmation email as evidence of the purpose of your visit to Washington during your visa interview once their registrations are approved.
