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IMF Invites Civil Society Input Into Governance Reform
Civil Society Organizations have the chance to submit proposals for the IMF governance reform
di Staff
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is asking civil society organizations (CSOs) for input into proposals to reform the way the institution is governed.
An independently run website has been set up to help collate and synthesize the CSO input, which will feed into IMF staff’s preparation of governance reform papers for IMF Executive Board discussions.
On this website, CSOs can submit materials, engage in debates, and offer feedback. Proposals can be also directly submitted to the IMF at ngoliaison@imf.org.
The process will culminate on 6th/7th October in a meeting between IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn and CSOs during the 2009 Annual Meetings in Istanbul, Turkey.
The effort to involve CSOs in IMF governance reform-called the Fourth Pillar-follows calls from civil society for a voice in the process.
The move started with a series of letters to civil society figures from Strauss-Kahn in late 2008 and also involved an April videoconference between Strauss-Kahn and CSOs on three continents.
The three existing pillars comprise work already done by
– the IMF Independent Evaluation Office, which released a report on “Governance of the IMF” in May 2008;
– the IMF Executive Board, which is examining proposals from a Working Group on IMF Corporate Governance, and
– the Committee of Eminent Persons on IMF Governance Reform, which reported in March 2009.
The IMF uses the term civil society organization to refer to the wide range of citizens’ associations that exists in virtually all member countries to provide benefits, services, or political influence to specific groups within society. CSOs include business forums, faith-based associations, labour unions, local community groups, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic foundations, and think tanks. Usually excluded are branches of government-such as government agencies and legislators-and also individual businesses, political parties, and the media. Labour unions often distinguish themselves from CSOs.
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