Civil Society Policy Forum 2016 - Call for Proposals
The Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) for the International Monetary Fund/World Bank 2016 Spring Meetings will convene in Washington DC from Monday, April 11 to Friday, April 15, 2016. This is 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 such as those that highlight efforts to tackle poverty reduction, secure financial stability, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth around the world.
The CSPF follows an inclusive and participatory approach that reflects the diversity of CSO policy concerns. The IMF and the World Bank are in the process of modernizing and updating processes for the Policy Forum – see call for feedback here. We hope to finalize this process by the time of the 2016 Annual Meetings. In the meantime, the following are guidelines for the CSPF for the 2016 Spring Meetings.
The 2016 Annual Meetings CSPF call for session proposals will run from Monday, February 1 to Friday, February 26, 2016. Please note that we will not accept proposals after February. An initial session schedule will be posted on March 14, 2016.
Interested CSOs can submit their requests using the session proposals form that can be found here.
The IMF and World Bank CSO teams will rely on the following guidelines in the selection of proposals for the Policy Forum:
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.
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.
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 determinant factors for session room selection.
Additional information:
Registering for the 2016 Spring Meetings: CSO registration for the 2016 Spring Meetings will open in mid-February, 2016 and will run through the end of March. To ensure the timely processing of your registration, we strongly encourage you and your potential panel participants to register early. Please register all proposed panelists and proposed participants to your session by March 28.
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.
Once their sessions are confirmed on the schedule, Civil Society Representatives are responsible for promoting their own sessions within their CSO networks and among the attendants at the Spring Meetings. The IMF and World Bank teams will list all approved sessions on a modernized CSPF website. The session will also be linked to the Annual Meetings main events website. Please note that the CSPF will be open to media registered to attend the Spring Meetings. The CSPF will not be open to representatives who have not registered to attend the 2016 Spring Meetings.
If you have any questions regarding Civil Society participation in the 2016 Spring Meetings, please contact us by email at: [email protected] and [email protected]