Civil Society Organizations

The World Bank has engaged with civil society organizations (CSOs) for more than four decades, beginning with its first policy on CSO relations in 1981. That commitment is anchored in a Partnership Charter that articulates the kind of partner we strive to be—open, responsive, and focused on shared development outcomes.

CSOs are essential to advancing development and addressing global challenges. Their expertise strengthens our projects and policies, and their voices help shape better results for people and communities. Across our country programs and at global level, we engage CSOs through advocacy and consultation, open information sharing, and regular policy dialogue—including the Civil Society Policy Forum at the Spring and Annual Meetings.

Our collaboration spans partnerships, operations, and funding. CSOs co-create and deliver services, bring local knowledge to project implementation and monitoring, and play critical roles in fragile and crisis settings. Dedicated programs—such as the Global Partnership for Social Accountability and other trust funds—support this work. We back accountability through mechanisms like the Accountability Mechanism, Grievance Redress Service, and the Integrity Vice Presidency to ensure our support benefits the communities we serve.