At the recently held 2025 SIDS Civil Society Engagement Forum at the United Nations (UN), Integrated Health Outreach (IHO), represented by Director of Operations, Britney McDonald, actively contributed to the high-level discussions, sharing insights gathered from weeks of consultations held after the 4th International Conference for Small Island Developing States (SIDS4). IHO and representing the SIDS CSO Coalition played a key role in coordinating the development of the SIDS Civil Society Roadmap and Action Plan documents which were co-created with partners such as the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), the Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (PIANGO), the SIDS Youth AIMS Hub (SYAH), and others, representing voices from across the Caribbean, Pacific, and Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea (AIS) regions.
The Forum, held from May 12–13 at the UN Headquarters in New York, brought together a diverse and dynamic group of 27 civil society actors from across the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) regions. The event served as a direct follow-up to the SIDS4, which was held in Antigua and Barbuda in May 2024, at which the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) was adopted as the 10-year blueprint for sustainable development.
IHO’s inputs to the SIDS Civil Society Engagement Forum were built on momentum created through public consultation and through the SIDS CSO Expo and Global CSO Summit—events organised around SIDS4 by IHO in conjunction with the SIDS CSO Coalition, where more than 95 organisations mobilised to provide coordinated inputs into the ABAS. As the SIDS agenda transitions from commitment to implementation, the forum emphasised the importance of strengthening civil society’s capacity and embedding civil society leadership, local knowledge, and community priorities in every stage of the process.
IHO’s Britney McDonald highlighted the importance of building functional bridges between local communities and international frameworks. “One of the outcomes we advocated for through written statements and dialogue was for stronger connectivity with and between civil society groups. This engagement responds to that call. Civil society organisations, engaged and strengthened, are assets to the ABAS implementation process,” she said.
In the lead-up to the forum, IHO published a working document to capture and validate reflections and recommendations from civil society consultations. It remained open for public comment through May 13, allowing continued input and transparency. During the forum, Britney McDonald shared interventions, including the need for greater civil society access to the participatory processes, to funding, and to opportunities to foster engagement with local communities.
“From our consultations, we have a clear picture of the barriers for civil society and on behalf of the Caribbean Region, and SIDS, we called for increased civil society connection in a sustainable manner and access to capacity building resources that make use of dynamic and responsive resource mobilisation,” she noted. Among other interventions made, fellow civil society representatives shared issues for indigenous communities, youth, and persons with disabilities. Meanwhile, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the UN, Dr. W. Aubrey Webson, acknowledged civil society inputs and recognised the importance of civil society’s close participation in the sustainable development process.
Participation in this pivotal forum was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Clara Lionel Foundation and the Equality Fund. Their support enabled organisations like IHO and the SIDS CSO Coalition to bring regional expertise and lived experiences into global policy discussions. Their contributions reflect a broader commitment to equity, inclusion, climate justice and strengthening the role of women-led and community-rooted organisations in shaping sustainable futures for island states.
A follow-up virtual debrief hosted by IHO will be held on May 28th, 2025, to share outcomes from the forum with CSOs and to explore opportunities for deepening implementation across national and regional contexts.