Civil society as one of the tools for sustainable development is becoming increasingly relevant, both
nationally and globally. The conditions in which the modern economy operates require achieving sustainable
development goals not only in the optimal use of resources and improving the environmental and socio-economic
conditions (opportunities) for realizing human potential, but also in enhancing the influence of civil society. Objectives:
to identify the role and degree of influence (mechanism of influence) of civil society on sustainable development.
Tasks of the work: to determine the categorical apparatus for studying the significance of civil society for sustainable
development (based on the analysis of statistical data and expert estimates), to identify the links between civil society
and the sustainable development process, to determine the degree of their interdependence. The study is based on a
theoretical analysis of economic theory, a review of the scientific literature on this topic. The authors identified the
principles of sustainable development, identified the structure and functions of civil society. The empirical data
reflects the formation of the relationship between civil society, effective government and the sustainable development
process. Using the tools of statistical analysis of data distribution, it is shown that more open societies with a developed
civil society have a more efficient government. The main tendency in realizing the role of civil defense has been
identified: with increasing openness, countries are shifting to large values of SD indices. International organizations
could use the results to improve the effectiveness of their programs.