The OECD Standards on Civil Society: Protecting Civic Space while making Civil Society Organisations More Accountable

Abstract

This paper examines the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) role in addressing two regulatory challenges: protecting civic space and establishing accountability mechanisms for civil society organisations (CSOs) internationally. It focuses on two standards: the 2021 OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society and the 1975 OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, recently applied to CSOs. By analysing their strengths, gaps, and complementarity of these standards, the paper highlights the OECD’s evolving role as a regulator of CSO-related issues. It shows how the OECD addresses shrinking civic space, CSO accountability deficits, and donor-state pressures through new standards developed via inclusive consultations and the adaptation of corporate frameworks for CSOs. This analysis underscores the complementarity and limitations of these approaches, contributing to discussions on enabling civil society and improving CSO accountability in an increasingly restrictive global environment.