The aim of the Membership programme is to ensure broad civil society participation in the work of The Forum. The Forum actively manages the membership to build strong relationships with and between its members.

In order for The Forum to fulfil its core mandate to promote and strengthen the voice of civil society in policy processes, it is important that there are well-established relations with organisations representing this area of the sector. The Forum therefore constantly seeks to recruit new members and consolidate its existing membership base.

The total number of members affiliated to The Forum is estimated at around 3,500. The number is approximate because we have not yet verified all the new applications. This process will be completed by the middle of 2008 with the launch of a fully verifiable membership database.

In the process of implementing the membership programme, The Forum carries out various activities such as marketing, meetings with prospective and current member organisations and public meetings to inform and raise awareness of The Forum, its programmes and how civil society organisations can benefit from speaking with a single voice on policy matters.