Civil society representatives from across the world have joined forces in developing a joint SIDS Civil Society Action Plan and Roadmap (2024-2034) which outlines key sustainable development priorities that civil society will address in the new 10-year sustainable development agenda for SIDS, called the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS). This Action Plan and Roadmap was launched at the Civil Society Forum held on May 29 as a special event at the Fourth International Conference on SIDS (SIDS4) held May 27-30 in Antigua and Barbuda.
Civil society from across the three SIDS regions – Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea (AIS), Caribbean and Pacific – collaborated to develop the Action Plan and Roadmap, which highlights the diverse roles which civil society plays in delivering sustainable development, including in research, policy development, awareness raising, capacity building, advocating for and amplifying the voices of vulnerable or marginalised people, and developing and delivering innovative practical solutions on the ground.
The Action Plan and Roadmap also recommends actionable priorities to strengthen enabling institutional frameworks, practices and partnerships to better support civil society in SIDS to play meaningful and effective roles in delivering sustainable development.
CANARI’s Executive Director, Nicole Leotaud, emphasised that, “new and deeper partnerships between governments and development partners with civil society can be a game changer for sustainable development in SIDS. This will leverage the expertise that civil society brings to the table, transforming our approach to addressing climate change, achieving inclusive and environmentally sustainable economic development, and delivering a human-rights approach to development.”
The SIDS Civil Society Action Plan and Roadmap provides a framework and concrete recommendations for action by civil society in SIDS, as well as action by SIDS governments and development partners to better enable and support civil society and deliver a participatory, multisectoral and whole of society approach to sustainable development in SIDS.