The IMF often portrays itself as an open and engaging organisation. However, civil society organisations are often confronted with lack of transparency, consistency, and ambition in CSO consultation, particularly in recent IMF policy reviews. Despite the IMF’s 2015 guidelines emphasising the benefits of transparent and broad engagement with CSOs, and recommending ‘good practices’ to the staff, actual practices fall very short to what could be expected.

As the need for systematic and standardised CSO engagement practices becomes more pressing, a coalition of civil society organisations call on the IMF to: 

1. Clearly outline the scope and timeline of policy and strategy reviews, new policies and strategies, interim reviews, and planned guidance notes, in their annual workplan.
2. Terms of reference of each process available prior to its outset
3. Commitment for meaningful CSO consultation in the different policy review processes, and new policies and strategies,including at minimum: clear and sufficient timeline; transparency and access to key documents; clarity on the scope of the process; combination of discussion meetings and formal process for inputs; facilitating global south participation; and consideration to CSOs inputs. 
4. Engagement also with heterodox academics, particularly from the global south
5. Information and documents also available for CSOs in the case of interim reviews and guidance notes. 
6. Improve CSO participation at country level (including all of the above). 

Read the joint letter