Engaging Civil Society in Situations of Fragility, Conflict and Violence

By 2030, almost half of the world’s poor will be living in countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence, and therefore the World Bank’s engagements in fragile contexts through IDA 18 is urgent and appropriate. It will require innovations in harnessing the roles of civil society organizations in supporting state-building, inclusive growth, effective delivery of public services, the integrity of public spending, and the inclusion of citizens. The need for early engagement in rebuilding states and social contracts is a strong rationale for social accountability, which depends on investments in capacity building of civil society and state institutions to engage constructively and inclusively, especially in addressing service delivery problems at the local level.

The World Bank’s Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA) convenes 49 governments and more than 290 partners from civil society, businesses and the private sector to solve governance challenges around the world. Discussants and members of the GPSA’s Steering Committee will discuss the unique contribution that the World Bank, specifically the Governance Global Practice and the GPSA, can make to promote inclusive governance, citizen participation, and civil society monitoring and oversight.