Towards Meaningful Civil Society Participation at the International Level: Success factors, Opportunities and Challenges

As international organisations grapple with increasingly complex global challenges - from climate change to human rights protection - the need for inclusive decision-making has never been more pressing. Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a crucial role in ensuring that policies reflect the needs and perspectives of the communities they affect. Yet, ‘meaningful’ participation remains difficult to achieve, often hindered by fragmented engagement processes, restricted access to decision-making spaces and a lack of structured mechanisms for influence.

A new OECD working paper, "Towards Meaningful Civil Society Participation at the International Level," explores the conditions that enable effective engagement, offering insights into how international institutions can move beyond ad-hoc consultations towards truly including CSOs in their policy- and decision-making.

Engaging civil society in international governance has multiple benefits. Beyond increasing legitimacy and transparency, participation can improve the quality of policymaking, ensure greater public trust in institutions and lead to more effective policy implementation. When CSOs are included in decision-making processes, they bring diverse expertise, grassroots perspectives and the ability to hold international actors accountable.

However, the working paper highlights that participation often remains inconsistent and unstructured. While many international organisations have mechanisms for consultation, these are sometimes ad hoc or lack the necessary frameworks to ensure meaningful impact. The working paper underscores that institutionalised structures, inclusive selection processes and strong civic space protections are needed for engagement to be genuinely transformative in shaping policies.

Based on a comparative analysis of over 25 international engagement mechanisms and interviews with more than 40 experts and practitioners, the OECD identified several key factors that contribute to successful and sustainable civil society participation at the international level. Strong, clearly defined legal provisions can help institutionalise participation, ensuring it remains a core part of governance structures rather than an occasional exercise. Civil society actors must be able to operate freely, with access to funding, legal protections and the ability to engage without fear of repression. The process of selecting participants should be transparent, fair and representative, ensuring that a diversity of voices - including those from underrepresented groups – are heard. The creation of dedicated support structures such as a permanent secretariat, a steering committee and stable funding mechanisms can provide long-term continuity for participation. Engagement is most effective when organisations provide transparent feedback to civil society input, demonstrating how their contributions have been taken into consideration.

The working paper shows that inviting civil society to the table is not enough - their voices must shape decision-making in a tangible way. By embedding structured, inclusive and transparent participation models into governance frameworks, international institutions can enhance credibility, strengthen public trust and develop policies that truly reflect diverse societal needs. While challenges remain, the working paper serves as a roadmap for strengthening these engagement frameworks, making them more responsive to the realities of global governance.