In 2025, UN DESA released a vital report titled “Strengthening Civil Society Engagement and Partnerships for ABAS”, focusing on how civil society in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) can better implement the Antigua & Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) Sustainable Development Goals.

The study was built on a wide consultative process, including a global online survey, regional meetings across SIDS regions, desk research, case studies, and the SIDS Civil Society Engagement Forum held at UN Headquarters in New York, May 2025 Sustainable Development Goals+1.

Key Challenges

While civil society significantly contributes to climate resilience, biodiversity, and sustainable development, the study highlights several standing challenges:

• Lack of financial resources
• Exclusion from policy decision-making
• Weak institutional support
• Disjointed coordination
• Low awareness of the SIDS Partnership Framework
• Digital and language barriers at grassroots levels Sustainable Development Goals

Six Strategic Recommendations

1. Clarify & Localize ABAS
   Improve visibility by translating and tailoring frameworks to local contexts, enhancing grassroots outreach, and establishing regional coordination bodies Sustainable Development Goals.
2. Funding Reform
   Simplify grant procedures, mandate civil society funding in regional programs, and create a dedicated SIDS Civil Society Development Fund Sustainable Development Goals.
3. Capacity Building
   Offer long-term, context-specific support, including opportunities for youth leadership and community-led evidence-building.
4. South–South Collaboration
   Create a regional CSO registry, hold regional forums, and institutionalize civil society’s input into global processes.
5. Government–Civil Society Partnerships
   Develop toolkits, formal agreements, and structures to ensure CSOs contribute early in policy and environmental strategy-making.
6. Public–Private Engagement
   Launch innovation hubs, promote shared governance, and encourage business networks to back social innovation.

Anchoring in Local Progress

• The Fourth International Conference on SIDS (SIDS4) took place in Antigua and Barbuda in May 2024, resulting in the adoption of ABAS—a 10-year blueprint for SIDS resilience and prosperity Sustainable Development GoalsPreventionWeb.
• At the SIDS Civil Society Engagement Forum, local organizations—including those from Antigua & Barbuda like IHO and the SIDS CSO Coalition—were instrumental in shaping the Civil Society Roadmap and Action Plan. This signified a strong push to embed local voices at the heart of ABAS implementation Antigua News Room.

These discussions emphasized the importance of inclusive, accessible, and equitable participation—particularly for youth, Indigenous communities, and persons with disabilities Antigua News Room.

Why This Matters for Antigua & Barbuda

ABAS, born from SIDS4 and held on home soil, reflects the voice and aspirations of our people. This UN study provides actionable strategies for ensuring civil society organizations in Antigua & Barbuda are well-equipped, well-represented, and well-resourced to deliver on this transformative agenda.

With improved funding, capacity support, and partnership structures, our local CSOs can turn advocacy into action—making ABAS more than just a policy, but a lived experience for communities across our nation.