The question of NGO accountability is being asked by a wide range of organisations and individuals; these range from progressive-leaning organisations such as SustainAbility to the right-wing American Enterprise Institute. NGOs themselves have been more than aware of the importance of accountability; after all, it is what informs and drives their purpose. However, the debate is often bogged down by preconceived stances and the practice is patchy and unstructured.

This issue of AccountAbility Forum draws together a number of leading commentators and practitioners in NGO accountability. It includes analysis of exciting new initiatives such as ACCESS, which aims to develop a reporting standard for NGOs. Other NGO leaders, analysts and practitioners such as Kumi Naidoo of CIVICUS, Lester Salamon of John Hopkins University, Agnès Callamard on the Humanitarian Project, and L. David Brown of Harvard University, all offer important insights.

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