About the Civil Society Financing for Development Mechanism

The Civil Society Financing for Development (FfD) Mechanism is an open group with the single criterion for membership being representation of a public-benefit civil society organization. The Mechanism has a fundamentally thematic focus, bringing together civil society organizations, networks and federations that are interested and active in the Financing for Development Process and its interrelated domains. In various conformations, the CS FfD Mechanism’s engagement dates back to the Preparatory Committee process leading up to the first International Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey (March 2002), and then continues through the preparation and follow-up of the Financing for Development Conference in Doha (November 2008) and the Third Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa (July 2015). The Mechanism has been active in its present format (Global Social Economy Group – GSEG) since the Doha FfD Review Conference in 2008.

During the entire FfD process, the CS FfD Mechanism promoted, catalyzed and facilitated engagement of civil society in the formal UN process and related spaces. Consistently with the FfD modalities that explicitly provide for the participation of civil society and the private sector, the CS FfD Mechanism is officially acknowledged by the UN FfD Office as the mechanism for civil society engagement in the process and so referred to on the UN FfD website. As per paragraph 132 of the outcome document of the Third Financing for Development Conference, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the CSO FfD Mechanism understands its mandate to not only address the expanded Financing for Development agenda but also the interlinkages between Financing for Development and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Participating organizations

The core of the Mechanism is an open virtual list containing more than 800 participating organizations (with more than 950 individuals). As a mechanism for civil society’s engagement in FfD, the CS FfD Mechanism does not have “formal membership”, but rather is an open space where interested organizations can engage and coordinate their common action and advocacy.

Participating organizations can join the Mechanism by subscribing to the Group’s online mailing  list (GSEG’s list). Joining the list is a simple process in which applicants provide some basic information to confirm their status as a public-benefit civil society organization. Participating organizations includes movements, networks, federations and coalitions among various constituencies (both those formally recognised within the current structure of the Major Groups, such as NGOs, women, children and youth, and trade unions, but also people living with disabilities, aging and others) as well as regional and thematic groupings.

Participating organizations also have the option to actively engage in thematic workstreams: tax, debt, private finance, trade, systemic issues, international development cooperation, technology and climate & environment finance. The core principle of the CS FfD Mechanism is to facilitate unified civil society representation, enabling collective action. Activities encompass joint advocacy and campaigning, crafting position papers and targeted statements, advocating for CSO perspectives, assigning representatives to official sessions, conducting collaborative assessments of official documents, engaging in media outreach, among other initiatives.