This blog is a follow up from the Dynamic Accountability Dialogue: Trust in a Trustless World hosted by Accountable Now and Rendir Cuentas.
Continue reading below to watch the dialogue recording and to find out what your organization can do to build trust.
Civil society is facing real and immense threats. From internal struggles to misinformation campaigns and dwindling funding, civic space is shrinking worldwide. Increasingly, a small group of government officials around the world have been wielding disproportionate power impacting the lives of millions, often without transparency, accountability, or regard for the public good.
Accountability is the backbone of a just and equitable society. Without it, those in positions of power can exploit resources, make harmful decisions, and widen inequalities, without facing consequences. Governments across the globe are pulling out humanitarian and aid funding, leaving millions without essential, and often life-saving, support.
Civil society organizations (CSOs) play a vital role in holding these individuals and institutions accountable by advocating for transparency, ethical practices, and justice. When politicians and billionaires avoid accountability, it undermines public trust and the foundations of a just society. CSOs ensure that power does not go unchecked, safeguarding democratic values and promoting a more equitable, responsible, trustworthy, and accountable global system.
On May 27, 2025, Accountable Now and Rendir Cuentas convened a panel of leading experts to explore the role of trust and accountability in an ever changing civil society landscape. Moderated by Chilande Kuloba-Warria (Founder + Managing Director, Warande Advisory Centre), the panelists, Tanya Wood (Executive Director of CHS Alliance), Anabel Cruz (Co-coordinator of Rendir Cuentas), and Lysa John (Executive Director of The Atlantic Institute), discusses how civil society got to where it is today and how it can build trust in a trustless world.
“We must develop a stronger connection with the communities we work for and represent them more effectively. We need to learn from the new social movements and their door-to-door approach. This cannot be replaced. Having someone out there building community is the kind of catalytic force needed in this context.” – Lysa John
“We must be transparent about the mechanisms and frameworks that we, as organisations, support. In order to gain trust, we cannot become irrelevant; we must take a position on an issue that affects the people we work for.” – Lysa John
As Lysa John emphasized during the dialogue, it is essential for organizations to build stronger connections with the communities they serve and to represent them more effectively. “We need to learn from the new social movements and their door-to-door approach. This cannot be replaced. Having someone out there building community is the kind of catalytic force needed in this context.”
Rebuilding trust also requires greater transparency around the mechanisms and frameworks that organizations support. Equally important is the need to take a clear position on the issues that directly impact the people we work for.
“In this complex and challenging context, we must eliminate the scarcity mindset. The world is different now. If we are going to do less with less, it would be counterproductive. Instead, we should adapt, innovate and focus on interaction and collaboration between organisations, considering how things can be done differently. Civil society needs to think creatively while maintaining our values and fostering collective innovation.” –Tanya Wood
“It is frustrating to see organisations changing their names and principles, as well as regressing in terms of dynamic accountability. We need to unlink accountability from compliance and money now. We must maintain humanitarian standards in our work and focus our practices on the communities we serve. We should involve them in the decision-making process and listen to their real needs.” – Anabel Cruz
“Although civil society is not homogeneous, we should try to work together as organisations and must not deviate from our principles of mutual accountability.” – Anabel Cruz
In this complex and challenging context, organizations must overcome the scarcity mindset, uphold humanitarian standards, and center their work on the communities they serve by truly listening to their needs. In the words of Tanya Wood, “If we are going to do less with less, it would be counterproductive.”
These times call for adaptation, innovation, and a renewed focus on interaction and collaboration between organizations. Civil society must think creatively and differently, while staying true to its core values and fostering collective innovation. As Anabel Cruz noted, “Although civil society is not homogeneous, we should try to work together as organizations and must not deviate from our principles of mutual accountability.”
“Mistrust and misinformation are becoming obstacles to the work of civil society, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to counteract them and present our own narrative. The impact is also huge in terms of a lack of financial support and an inability to connect with people. Now, more than ever, it is important to connect with our primary constituents and the people we claim to represent. It is vital to tell them the truth. If we are going to rebuild trust, we must rebuild truth.” – Anabel Cruz
“There is a history of safeguarding scandals in civil society; it has happened before (in 2019), and a lot of work has been done since then. However, we are now facing a threat to community engagement and connection. Sometimes organisations feel that this is not essential. Accountability means developing trust with communities to deepen trust in the system.” – Tanya Wood
Mistrust and misinformation are increasingly becoming obstacles to the work of civil society, making it more difficult to counteract false narratives and share our own truth. This challenge also has a significant impact on financial support and our ability to connect with people. Now, more than ever, it is essential to engage with our primary constituents and the communities we represent. As Anabel Cruz highlights, “It is vital to tell them the truth. If we are going to rebuild trust, we must rebuild truth.”
Civil society also faces the legacy of safeguarding scandals; as Tanya Wood recalls, “It has happened before (in 2019), and a lot of work has been done since then.” However, we are currently confronting a new threat to community engagement and connection. Sometimes organizations underestimate the importance of this. Dynamic accountability means developing trust with communities to strengthen confidence in the system.
The 12 Commitments
In 2015, civil society networks from across the world began discussing what accountability looks like in practice in CSOs. Through a bottom-up approach, largely led by Majority World organizations and networks, a 12 Commitments Framework was co-created and the Global Standard for CSO Accountability was born. Launched in 2017 by 12 Global Standard Partners, these Commitments reflect a shared vision of what accountability and responsibility mean for CSOs throughout the world.
There are many tools and resources geared towards helping organizations apply the 12 Commitments in their work.
The Rendir App is a self-assessment tool for CSOs to identify initial gaps. Available for CSOs and networks in three languages (English, French, and Spanish).
You can find more guidance materials from the Global Partners on Accountable Now’s 12 Commitments Page. There are materials in Albanian, English, Khmer, Korean, Macedonian, and Spanish.
Accountable Now and Rendir Cuentas are both Global Standard Partners.
You can find the full recording of the Dialogue here!
This blog post was also shared on the Global Standard for CSO Accountability webpage.
Accountable Now is a global membership platform. We support our members – and civil society at large – to be more transparent, responsive, impact-focused, and locally led. Interested in becoming a member?
Accountable Now is a member of Accountability Lab’s global translocal network.
