C20 South Africa Legacy, Participation and Future Civil Society Coordination Survey - c20southafrica

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C20 South Africa Legacy, Participation and Future Civil Society Coordination Survey

Participant Survey

Purpose

C20 South Africa brought together civil society organisations, networks, communities and other stakeholders during South Africa’s 2025 G20 Presidency. This survey seeks to understand:

participants’ experiences of the C20 South Africa process;
the contribution of C20 to policy development and civil society participation;
the relationships, capabilities and opportunities created through the process;
lessons that should be carried forward;
whether stronger civil society coordination is needed beyond the South African G20 Presidency; and
what form any future national, regional or international coordination should take.

Responses will be analysed collectively to inform the C20 South Africa legacy process and discussions on future civil society cooperation.

Participation Survey

SECTION 1 — ABOUT YOUR PARTICIPATION

1.1. In which country are you primarily based?*

1.2. Which best describes the organisation or constituency you represented during the C20 process?*

Select the most appropriate option.

1.3. Which constituencies or communities does your work primarily represent or serve?*

Women and girls Youth Persons with disabilities LGBTQIA+ communities Workers Informal workers Rural communities Indigenous / traditional communities Migrants / refugees / displaced communities Children Older persons Health constituencies Education constituencies Climate / environmental constituencies Governance / human rights constituencies Economic justice / development constituencies Other

Select all that apply.

1.4. How were you involved in C20 South Africa?*

Working Group participant Working Group facilitator / coordinator C20 leadership / governance structure Secretariat Policy brief contributor C20 Summit participant G20 Social Summit participant Side-event organiser or participant International Advisory Committee / international C20 engagement Government or institutional partner Other

Select all that apply.

SECTION 2 — EXPERIENCE OF THE C20 SOUTH AFRICA PROCESS

For the questions in this section, please indicate how strongly you agree or disagree.

2.1. I had meaningful opportunities to contribute to the C20 process.*

Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Not applicable

2.2. The C20 provided an inclusive environment in which different organisations, communities and constituencies could participate.*

Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Not applicable

2.3. The processes for developing, negotiating and approving policy positions were sufficiently clear.*

Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Not applicable

2.4. I could see my own or my constituency's contributions reflected in discussions and/or final C20 policy positions.*

Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Not applicable

2.5. The final C20 policy positions adequately reflected the priorities and lived realities of civil society and communities.*

Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Not applicable

2.6. Participation in C20 strengthened my understanding of the G20 and other multilateral policymaking processes.*

Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Not applicable

2.7. What worked particularly well in the C20 South Africa process?*

2.8. What should have been done differently or improved?*

SECTION 3 — IMPACT AND VALUE CREATED

For the questions in this section, please indicate how strongly you agree or disagree.

3.1. Participation in C20 strengthened my organisation's or constituency's capacity to engage in policy and multilateral processes.*

Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Not applicable

3.2. C20 strengthened relationships and collaboration between civil society organisations that may not otherwise have worked together.*

Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Not applicable

3.3. C20 created meaningful opportunities for civil society to engage government and policymakers.*

Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Not applicable

3.4. C20 increased opportunities for South African and African civil society to engage international actors and multilateral processes.*

Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Not applicable

3.5. Where I participated in the G20 Social Summit, it provided a meaningful opportunity for community and civil society priorities to reach a wider policy audience.*

Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Not applicable

3.6. In your view, what was the single most important achievement of C20 South Africa?*

3.7. Where did C20 South Africa fall short in translating participation, policy recommendations or relationships into influence or impact?*

SECTION 4 — WHAT SHOULD BE CARRIED FORWARD?

4.1. To what extent do you believe the relationships, capabilities and networks created through C20 South Africa should be sustained beyond South Africa's G20 Presidency?*

Not at all To a limited extent To some extent To a significant extent Definitely Unsure

4.2. Which elements of the C20 South Africa experience are most important to sustain?*

Relationships between civil society organisations Working Group / thematic policy networks Policy research and policy-development capacity Community-to-policy pathways Engagement with government Engagement with G20/C20 processes Engagement with the African Union Engagement with SADC International civil society relationships Links with other G20 Engagement Groups Convening capacity Civil society leadership development Multilateral policy training / capacity building Shared communications and advocacy Policy monitoring and accountability Other

Select up to five.

4.3. At which level do you believe there is currently the greatest need for stronger civil society coordination?*

Within South Africa Southern Africa / SADC Continental / African Union Global South cooperation International multilateral engagement Primarily within individual policy sectors rather than geographically There is no significant coordination gap Unsure Other

Select one.

4.4. Which of the following best describes what should emerge from the C20 South Africa legacy process?*

Maintain the relationships informally without creating a new structure. Maintain issue-specific or Working Group networks rather than a central platform. Establish an ongoing South African civil society coordination platform. Establish a Southern African / SADC civil society coordination platform. Develop a wider African civil society coordination platform. Maintain a mechanism primarily focused on C20/G20 engagement. Develop a flexible network connecting national, regional and continental civil society platforms. No new mechanism is required. Unsure. Other

Select the option closest to your view.

4.5. If a future coordination mechanism is developed, what geographic scope should it ultimately aim to serve?*

South Africa only South Africa initially, with future Southern African participation Southern Africa / SADC Africa-wide A network linking national and regional African platforms Global South / international Other Unsure

SECTION 5 — WHAT SHOULD A FUTURE CIVIL SOCIETY PLATFORM DO?

5.1. Which institutions or multilateral processes should organised civil society be better equipped to engage?*

National government SADC African Union / African Union Commission African Union organs and specialised institutions African Continental Free Trade Area structures African Development Bank Africa CDC G20 / C20 United Nations World Health Organization World Bank / IMF World Trade Organization UN climate / COP processes Other

Please select your five highest priorities.

5.2. What should be the most important functions of a future civil society coordination mechanism?*

Develop shared civil society policy positions Convene organisations around emerging regional or international issues Carry civil society positions into SADC, AU and other multilateral processes Coordinate engagement with governments Track implementation of policy commitments Produce evidence and policy research Build multilateral policy capacity among CSOs Create pathways for grassroots organisations to influence regional and global policy Connect national civil society organisations with regional and international networks Mobilise joint advocacy campaigns Provide early information on upcoming multilateral policy processes Support participation of under-represented constituencies Coordinate civil society representation at major international forums Maintain institutional memory between Presidency or summit cycles Mobilise resources for civil society participation Other

Select up to five.

5.3. What are the three greatest barriers currently preventing civil society from influencing regional and multilateral policymaking?*

Fragmentation between organisations Competition between civil society organisations Lack of funding Limited access to decision-makers Lack of information about multilateral processes Limited policy and technical capacity Weak coordination across countries Weak connection between grassroots voices and national organisations Language barriers Digital / connectivity barriers Geographic and travel costs Political restrictions or shrinking civic space Dominance of large or well-resourced organisations Lack of representative legitimacy Lack of continuity between major international events Other

Select up to three.

5.4. What would be necessary to ensure that grassroots organisations, community voices and marginalised constituencies have meaningful influence within such a platform rather than symbolic representation?*

SECTION 6 — RELATIONSHIP WITH GOVERNMENT

6.1. Which model should best describe the relationship between organised civil society and government in future multilateral engagement?*

Fully independent with engagement on an issue-by-issue basis Independent, but with a formal channel for regular government–civil society dialogue A structured partnership while maintaining independent civil society governance A jointly coordinated mechanism between government and civil society No formal relationship is required Unsure Other

6.2. What forms of government support would be appropriate without compromising civil society independence?*

Access to information about multilateral processes Regular policy briefings Access to relevant government delegations or officials Opportunities to present civil society positions Participation in consultations Facilitation of international and regional engagement Travel / participation support Technical support Access to meeting venues or infrastructure Formal liaison arrangements Government funding Government funding administered through an independent mechanism No direct government support Other

Select all that apply.

SECTION 7 — GOVERNANCE, LEGITIMACY AND SUSTAINABILITY

7.1. If an ongoing civil society coordination mechanism is established, which principles should be considered essential to its governance?*

Independence from government Transparency Democratic representation Geographic diversity Constituency diversity Gender equality, diversity Youth representation Disability inclusion Grassroots representation Rotation of leadership Clear terms of office Public reporting Conflict-of-interest rules Transparent selection of representatives Accountability of representatives back to constituencies Other

Select up to five.

7.2. What are the greatest risks of creating a more permanent civil society coordination structure, and how should these risks be managed?*

7.3. Imagine that this initiative is successful five years from now. What would have changed for civil society in South Africa and/or the wider region?*

7.4. In one sentence, what should the legacy of C20 South Africa be?*

OPTIONAL FOLLOW-UP

The next stage of the reflection process may include a limited number of in-depth stakeholder interviews exploring the experience of C20 South Africa and possible future models of civil society coordination.

7.5. Would you be willing to participate in a follow-up interview?*

Yes No

If yes, please provide your preferred contact details:

First Name

Last Name

Email

Phone number

Country

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