International Monetary Fund and civil society: an underdeveloped dialogue

Reflecting a wider trend in global governance, the IMF and civil society groups have over the past fifteen years developed increased contacts with each other. Nevertheless, these links remain in significant ways underdeveloped. Many relevant associations have no interchanges with the IMF, most of the relationships that do exist are shallow, and to date the Fund and its civic counterparts have generally been disinclined to engage in a critical, veritably reciprocal dialogue. These shortcomings have resulted from various institutional as well as deeper structural circumstances. In consequence important opportunities to inject greater democracy into a key global economic institution are being missed.