ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR CIVIL SOCIETY IS NOW CLOSED.

The Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) is open to CSO representatives who have been accredited to the 2017 Spring Meetings through online registration. Registration was open from February 21 to April 3, 2017.

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.   Unfortunately, we have come across some entities offering to register participants for a fee.  If you come across any such entity, please report them to civilsociety@worldbank.org so we can take appropriate action.

Application Process

All CSO applications go through an initial review by the Civil Society Team of the World Bank Group to ensure that the applicants represent CSOs involvement in interational development policy operations and/or dialogue on issues relevant to the work of the Bank Group and IMF.

Once this criteria is met, applications are reviewed by the relevant Executive Directors' offices (based on the country where the CSO is based or mainly operates and/or the nationality of the requester) for clearance.  The Executive Directors have eight working days to review the requests for registration.

At the end of this process, the participants will be notified of the final decision by the Civil Society Team.  There is no limit on the number of applicants from a single organization, but each applicant must apply individually.

Since the applications approval process can take up to 21 days, we encourage CSOs to apply early, to allow for the relevant reviews and clearances, and to give themselves enough time to make travel and visa arrangements. 

CSOs include non-governmental organizations, community groups, labor unions, indigenous peoples movements, faith-based organizations, professional associations, foundations, think tanks, charitable organizations, and other not-for-profit organizations.  Representatives from the private sector, academia or governmental bodies must apply for accreditation through the "Guests" or other respective registration category as clarified on the main 2017 Spring Meetings website.

Since the application's approval can take up to 21 days, we encourage CSO representatives to apply early to given themselves enough time to make travel and visa arrangements and to ensure that there is enough time to complete the relevant reviews and clearances.

Visas

If you need a visa to enter the United States, please request registration as soon as possible, noting that the approval of your registration request can take up to three weeks. The World Bank Group and IMF do not assist with the visa application process in United States Consulates as this is the responsibility of each traveler.

Following registration approval, you can use your confirmation email as evidence of the purpose of your visit to Washington during your visa interview. The Bank Group and IMF will not be responsible for delays in visa processing.

The Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) is open to all CSOs and other delegates who have been accredited to the 2017 Spring Meetings. 

The CSPF will be held in the Civil Society Center (CSO Center) at the World Bank’s I Building located at 1850 I Street, N.W., which is the same location as registration and badge pick-up.

The CSO Center is comprised of three large conference rooms (I 2-210, I 2-220, I 2-250), and a meeting room (I 2-440) for smaller meetings. There is also a CSO office where you can liaise with members of the World Bank and IMF Civil Society Teams. A few sessions will also be held at IMF HQ2 Building (1900 Pennsylvania Ave.)

The full-schedule of the CSPF along with room location is available on this same website.

Booking a small conference room at the CSPF:

Three large conference rooms will be used for the CSPF sessions. In addition, a separate meeting room (I 2-440) can be used by CSO representatives for smaller meetings. Please send an e-mail to Sabina Grenaderova (sgrenaderova@worldbankgroup.org) to reserve this space, and requests will be accommodated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please note, these meetings will not be promoted and advertised on the CSPF schedule.

Computers and internet access:

There will be multiple desktop computers with internet access available in the CSO Center, as well as a copy machine. In addition, there is Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the building. In addition, a Satellite Lounge for CSOs will be made available in the IMF HQ2 Building (1900 Pennsylvania Ave), room number HQ2 3B 948. This room will be equipped with a few laptops and printers, and is on the same floor as the Spring Meetings Press Center.

CSO Materials:

There will also be a dedicated table for CSO promotional materials located in the CSO Center at the I Building. CSOs are responsible for delivering, displaying and replenishing the relevant materials themselves during the week of the Forum.

Recording sessions:

None of the sessions at the CSPF will be recorded by the World Bank. If you are planning to film or record a session for external distribution, we ask that you please give us advance notice as we are required to abide by local privacy laws and to seek permission from session presenters prior to the session.

Media and Press:

The CSPF is open to media and journalists who do not require a World Bank/IMF staff escort to access the CSO Center. CSOs will have access to the Press Center in the IMF HQ2 Building; however, CSOs should be mindful of journalists’ workspace and independence. While CSO representatives are not allowed in the official press conferences, as these are reserved for journalists, they will be able to follow press events via a live TV feed located in the Press Center. Please note that CSOs will not be allowed to distribute leaflets in the pressroom, but instead a table will be available just outside the pressroom for CSO press materials.

INSTRUCTIONS

A core component of the Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) is some 40, mainly CSO-organized policy dialogue sessions that will run concurrently throughout the Forum.

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and CSO networks who are interested in organizing sessions are now invited to submit their applications during the Call for Proposals which will run until Friday, February 24, 2017. Relevant materials and instructions can be found below.

Session organizers will be notified if their session has been selected for inclusion in the CSPF, prior to posting the preliminary CSPF program schedule online by Tuesday, March 14, 2017.

Please note that we cannot guarantee that every proposal will be accepted. Due to the growing demand for sessions in recent years and space constraints, we ask that each organization sponsor only one session, although you may co-sponsor additional sessions that other organizations are leading on. Proposals jointly sponsored with other CSOs - especially from other regions of the world - are highly encouraged!

If you want to submit a joint proposal, and/or would like to work on your proposal offline, please follow these two steps:

All proposals, without exception, must be submitted electronically using the online form above. 

The deadline for submitting a session proposal is Friday, February 24, 2017.

The purpose of the CSPF is to provide a balanced program with valuable sessions for all participants attending the CSPF. The review committee will therefore select proposals that contribute to a diverse and comprehensive forum. The committee will pay close attention to the thematic relevance of session proposals, and will prioritize sessions that invite debate beyond the focus of one CSO or a single country. To this end, the review committee may decide to ask some organizations to refine their proposals and consider merging sessions with other organizations that submitted similar proposals. The committee may also ask the community at large to vote on a few select sessions.

REMINDERS

• Sessions will only be open to those accredited to the 2017 Spring Meetings. No day passes will be issued for guests attending the sessions. 
• Registration and participation in the CSPF is free, but please be aware that participants -  including session organizers - are responsible for covering their own travel, accommodation, and per diem costs.  See the Registration tab for more details.