development. This increased activity has, in some successful cases, lead to
partnerships that have been effective in reducing poverty and achieving sustainable
development.
The selections from the table below reveal just how sincerely and openly “civil
society” is included in the proceedings of some of the global institutions. Only the
World Bank NGO Committee selects its own members; in all other cases
representatives of civil society are selected by the World Bank. This certainly has
ramifications for the “type” of civil society that is included to represent “civil
society” at the organizational level. The roles of these new civil partners range from
ad hoc, to consultative and advisory. They have limited access to actual meetings of
the organizations and in very few cases can contribute to the agenda or actually
speak up at meetings. In only half the cases are they allowed to contribute written
statements to participants. Access to information is controlled and at the discretion
of the international institutions themselves.
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