Towards more inclusive, participatory, just and sustainable development.

As we approach the end of 2024, we are pleased to share an overview of our key activities and milestones from the past six months. These include capacity-building initiatives for our members, advocacy efforts during the 2024 World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings, the launch of monitoring efforts for World Bank projects in the Arab region, our board meeting in Jordan, and engagements with our members across several countries.

AWC remains committed to analyzing and addressing the challenges of engagement between the IMF and civil society in the Arab region, which is often marked by inconsistent interactions, and restrictions on civic space. These civic space conditions frequently determine whether meaningful engagement with the IMF can occur. We are actively advocating for the IMF to adopt a mandatory engagement policy with CSOs, moving beyond the current reliance on guidelines.

• Direct Engagement: We continue to directly engage with IMF mission teams in various countries in our region and the Independent Evaluation Office to amplify civil society voices and concerns.

• Advocacy for Change in 2025: At the 2024 Annual Meetings, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva promised a mid-2025 review of CSO engagement. AWC will continue advocating to ensure civil society and community voices are genuinely heard and included in this process.

• Analysis on Egypt: In light of Egypt’s worsening economic situation and growing dissatisfaction among CSOs and communities, we published a detailed analysis titled "From Loans to Letdowns: Why the IMF's Egypt Strategy is Coming Up Short" . This report examines the IMF’s economic reforms in Egypt, highlighting issues such as rising debt, regressive taxation, and insufficient social protections.

AWC has actively participated in global campaigns aimed at improving civil society and citizens engagement with the World Bank, strengthening accountability mechanisms, and promoting human rights in World Bank-funded projects.

• Responsible Exit Policy: In October 2024, the IFC released its long-awaited Responsible Exit approach, outlining principles for withdrawing from ongoing investments. AWC contributed to this achievement through sustained advocacy in collaboration with international partners.

• Upcoming Sustainability Framework Review: The IFC is set to review its Sustainability Framework, including its Performance Standards and Access to Information Policy. AWC has taken a leading role in drafting a proposal to influence this process.

• Accountability Mechanism Review: During the World Bank’s review of its policies and the structure of its Accountability Mechanism, AWC provided input on a policy review paper commissioned by the World Bank Board and prepared by external experts. To involve as many regional members and partners as possible in this technical policy dialogue, we shared simplified and accessible information about the review process, which can be found here.

During the 2024 Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., AWC engaged with a broad range of stakeholders, including WBG and IMF staff, Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs), and civil society organizations. 

• Meeting Topics: Discussions covered citizen engagement, collaboration between IAMs and CSOs for effective dispute resolution, updates on Environmental and Social Framework implementation, and future review processes for IFI frameworks. We have published a report summarizing the insights and outcomes from these meetings, available here.

• Co-Sponsored Sessions: AWC co-sponsored several sessions during the Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) at the Annual Meetings. 

• These included:

  • A session on the debt crisis, organized alongside regional and international partners.

  • A session centering Arab voices on sustainable development financing, exploring rights-based approaches to tackle debt and climate challenges.

  • A session focused on accountability and remedy in development financing.

You can watch all the CSPF sessions on the World Bank CSPF page or the IMF CSPF page.

AWC continues to support CSOs and inform communities by providing tools and resources to deepen their understanding of international financial institutions’ (IFIs) mandates and policies and enhance their ability to engage effectively.

• Toolkits:

  • Navigating the World Bank’s Website for Project Information: A guide explaining how to locate project documents on the World Bank's website and understand the information they contain.

  • Understanding the IMF’s Core Functions and Loan Types: A resource explaining the IMF’s mandate, loan types, and conditionality, designed to help CSOs grasp the institution’s impact on national policies.

• High-Risk Project list: We disseminated a list of high-risk IFI-funded projects in our member's countries, detailing potential social and environmental risks to help members monitor them if desired.

In collaboration with member organizations, AWC has kickstarted efforts to monitor World Bank-funded agricultural projects in the region:

• Egypt and Jordan:

Coordinated efforts with three member organizations in Egypt and four in Jordan to monitor and report on  World Bank-funded sustainable agriculture projects in both Egypt and Jordan.

To view the project brief for Egypt in English, please visit this page. For the Arabic version, please visit this page.  

To view the project brief  for Jordan in English, please visit this page. For the Arabic version, please visit this page.  

Expansion Plans: Similar monitoring initiatives will be launched in Lebanon and Tunisia.

• In addition to engagements in Jordan and Egypt, we met with three Moroccan member organizations to discuss areas of collaboration, including women’s empowerment, financial inclusion, and environmental sustainability.
• AWC also facilitated a meeting between the Arab Forum for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (AFRPD)’s Moroccan member organization and the World Bank office in Rabat to discuss the inclusion of people with disabilities in the social protection programs funded by the Bank.

On December 6-7, 2024, AWC convened its board members in Jordan to:

• Review progress towards 2024 strategic objectives.

• Outline planned activities for 2025.

• Discuss the communication strategy and the development of new strategic plans.

• Evaluate the coalition’s budget and financial standing.

• Assess the progress of member working groups.

We thank our members and partners for their continued support and collaboration throughout 2024. We look forward to advancing our collective mission in the year ahead.

For more information and to get involved, contact us at info@arabwatchcoalition.org