This post is also available in: Arabic
The World Bank has launched the development of a new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Egypt that will constitute the framework for the Bank’s projects and lending priorities in Egypt for the period from 2015 to 2018.
A group of Egyptian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) met with World Bank officials in Cairo in February, following their submission of recommendations for how the Bank can ensure stakeholder participation in the process of preparing the upcoming CPS for Egypt. This is in light of the fact that effective participation at the local level has been less than sufficient in the development of strategy papers adopted by the Bank in previous years.
During their meeting, the CSOs focused on the significance of an open and inclusive consultation process that would to allow for the participation of a wide range of civil society organizations and stakeholders, and would ensure representation from regions outside the capital. The organizations also expressed the importance of CPS drafts being made available in Arabic, and being published early on in the process so that interested CSOs and stakeholders have sufficient time to review the drafts in question prior to consultation meetings with the Bank.
The CSOs also stressed that the Bank should have in place an effective process for collecting input and feedback on the CPS drafts online in order to ensure wider participation. In addition, CSOs urged the Bank to disclose the input that it receives on the drafts, as well as its reasons for not adopting any such input – where applicable. Equally important is that the consultation process not be limited to the capital, and that the Bank conducts consultation sessions in regions outside of Cairo, especially in regions where Bank projects are likely to have the greatest impact. The CSOs also highlighted the importance of conducting a meaningful assessment of the results of the Bank’s last strategy paper for Egypt.
In addition, CSOs stressed that the Bank should adopt a model of integrated planning in order to ensure that the development of one sector does not adversely affect other sectors. It was also suggested that the Bank conduct an upstream environmental and social assessment at the national level in order to support more systematic integrated planning and to better evaluate and mitigate cumulative impacts of projects.
Finally, the CSOs requested that the Bank take into account studies published by civil society organizations working on the ground rather than relying exclusively on studies conducted by the government. They also asked the Bank to make available studies that it receives from different entities, and that the Bank may rely on in preparing the new strategy. In addition, the CSOs requested that the Bank allow direct stakeholders, and those affected by the Bank’s projects, to give their opinion – whether positively or negatively – on how the Bank has affected their lives; including by way of conducting surveys in project affected areas.
Hartwig Schafer, World Bank Country Director for Egypt, Yemen, and Djibouti, and head of the World Bank Office in Cairo welcomed these recommendations by the CSOs and expressed his commitment to an effective and fruitful consultation process. Mr. Schafer also expressed interest in continued communication between the Bank and civil society organizations over the upcoming period, and promised to keep the group of CSOs he met with in the loop as to the timeline for the beginning of the CPS preparation phase, which began March 5th with a kick off meeting with the Egyptian government.
The Egyptian CSOs welcome the initial response by the World Bank’s office in Cairo. However, they also stress the importance that those promises are transformed into action, so that the consultation process can allow for the effective and meaningful participation of Egyptian civil society organizations and direct stakeholders in a manner which avoids the disadvantages of the strategies that have been adopted for Egypt in the past.
Click here to read the World Bank’s press release on the launch of the CPS preparation process for Egypt: (World Bank press release)
A primer with basic information on the World Bank’s CPS can be found here: (Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) Primer)
The following is a list of the organizations that developed and endorsed the recommendations presented to the World Bank which can be found here: (Egyptian civil society recommendations on CPF/S consultation process)
Egyptian
Egyptian Center for Civil and Legislative Reform
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
Egyptian Association for Collective Rights
Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights
International
Habitat International Coalition/ Housing and Land Rights Network
Bank Information Center