Arab Watch Coalition

The Arab Watch Coalition is a regional coalition of civil society organizations in the SWANA region that was founded in 2018 to monitor the operations of International Financial Institutions in the region to make sure that the development processes are inclusive, participatory, just, and sustainable for all. The coalition engages with civil society, local communities, and right-holders to ensure their interests are reflected in national development. The Coalition’s work involves local communities, trade unions and syndicates, and social movements in the articulation of economic and development policies; monitoring the implementation of programs and projects financed by international and regional financing institutions; promoting transparency in the policies and projects of these international institutions; publishing and disseminating information about their projects, programs, and policies in the region; holding such institutions accountable; and influencing decision making within these institutions by empowering civil society and revitalizing its role.

They have been working on several campaigns, including the Citizen Engagement campaign that strives to enable all relevant right-holders to be effectively involved in the decision-making processes concerning IFIs’ financed projects. It also aims at ensuring operational and effective complaints and grievances redress mechanisms that are accessible to all affected communities. They are also coordinating the #EndAusterity Campaign. The campaign brings together hundreds of civil society organizations from different parts of the world to advocate for sustainable economic programs that provide the necessary foundation on which people can build decent and prosper lives instead of austerity-arrangements that squeeze people's livelihood for generations. Other campaigns include a campaign with their members in Yemen pushing for canceling the debts in Yemen. Finally, they run a climate justice campaign calling on IFIs to make tangible commitments to fight climate change on the ground.

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