Nongovernment Organizations and Civil Society

About ADB and Civil Society

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has long interacted with CSOs, and over the years, has formalized its relationships with civil society through a series of policies and resources:

• 1998: ADB–CSO engagement was formalized by approval of the Policy on Cooperation between ADB and NGOs.



• 2001: ADB allocated further resources to its work with civil society by launching the NGO and Civil Society Center (NGOC).



• 2005: ADB approved its Public Communications Policy, which facilitates ADB–CSO cooperation by improving the flow of information between ADB and civil society stakeholders.



• 2006: ADB's Staff Guide to Consultation and Participation enhances staff understanding of why and how ADB collaborates with CSOs and provides guidance on how to cooperate with CSOs in a wide range of contexts.



• 2008: In Strategy 2020, ADB's new long-term strategic framework, ADB commits to engage in partnerships with a more diverse group of institutions. Partnerships with non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, and foundations will become central to planning, financing and implementing ADB operations. Furthermore, Strategy 2020 prioritizes partnerships as one of five drivers of change.

Learn more about the NGO and Civil Society Center and its work, and find out more about how a civil society organization can work with ADB.

The NGO and Civil Society Center welcomes ideas on how it can best fulfill its mandate. Contact us with your suggestions.

Subscribe to our newsletter.