Civil society awaits Bank’s Fragility, Conflict & Violence strategy consultation opportunity
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Article summary
Despite Bank’s existing FCV strategy expiring this year, civil society are yet to see details of the expected public consultation on its replacement.
As the World Bank’s existing strategy on Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) expires this year, a new strategy was expected to be finalised in 2025. With the Annual Meetings in Washington DC this October, and the end of the current 2020-25 strategy period nearing, the status of the anticipated public consultation on its replacement is unclear.
Civil society is watching for waning commitment to formal reviews and consultation processes, amidst ongoing reform and threats to the Bank’s climate and gender work from the new US administration (Dispatch Springs 2025). As of 3 September, the Bank shared in a blog post that the new FCV Strategy is under development, and that the International Development Association’s (IDA) – the World Bank’s low income arm – 21st replenishment cycle offers a critical opportunity.
Despite the keenness of civil society organisations (CSOs) to engage in a public consultation (see Observer Summer 2025), it remains unclear when this will happen and whether it will be similar to that of previous years (Observer Winter 2019). The need for a strong FCV strategy is undeniable, with the OECD 25 Fragility report highlighting the dire current context, noting, “fragility in the security dimension has increased in 93 out of 177 contexts. Political and societal fragility have increased in 107 of the contexts, driven by the third wave of autocratisation. Fragility in the economic dimension also has increased in more than half, or 94, of the contexts.”
CSOs fear the public silence is indicative of a more targeted and low-key engagement process with limited participants, which would be at odds with longstanding CSO calls to ensure processes are open, inclusive and diverse in their citizen engagement efforts, and to intersect with other new Bank strategies such as the Gender Strategy 2024-30 (see Observer Summer 2024).
