Port of Spain, May 7, 2019 – The Caribbean Civil Society SDGs Knowledge Platform is now live! Created as an online virtual space to connect people and organisations with information on or an interest in the role of Caribbean civil society in implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, it gives civil society organisations (CSOs) working on sustainable development issues across the region a convenient place to access, share and learn, network and collaborate on these matters.

This is significant for enhancing participation of civil society as a key development partner and supports their more effective role in implementing change, raising awareness and advocating around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“We welcome the growing participation of civil society in policy dialogues and government decision-making… Civil society organizations bring with them an independent voice of accountability that the 2030 Agenda envisions. They also possess the networks, skills, knowledge and other capacities that need to be fully leveraged by Governments to accelerate progress at all levels.” ~ UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed

CANARI created the knowledge platform as part of the project CSOs For Good Governance: Enhancing civil society’s contribution to governance and development processes in Trinidad and Tobago (CSOs4GoodGov), which is being implemented from 2017-2020 with the support of the
European Union (EU). The project is designed to support and catalyse effective (CSO) participation in implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda in Trinidad and Tobago – the knowledge platform is a key tool towards achieving this project goal. Additional support was received from the EU- funded global project Creating enabling policy conditions for the transformation towards an inclusive green economy (DCI-ENV/2016/372-847) and the Caribbean component GE4U: Transformation towards an inclusive green economy in the Caribbean

Why a Caribbean Civil Society SDGs Knowledge Platform?

CSOs will be able to participate more effectively in SDG action and advocacy if they are well informed about the SDGs and inspired by and collaborating with other Caribbean CSOs. This knowledge platform is therefore designed to provide CSOs in T&T and the wider Caribbean with:
▪ easy online access to information relevant to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and its implementation at the national and regional level, with particular focus on the role that CSOs are playing in the process;
▪ an opportunity for CSOs to showcase stories relating to their role in and experience of implementing or advocating around the SDGs locally, nationally, regionally or globally;
▪ a networking forum for CSOs (and where appropriate, their partners) to discuss their experiences, exchange ideas and share lessons learned; and
▪ an opportunity to collaborate in order to enhance the capacity, voice and visibility of CSOs in national and Caribbean SDG policy and actions.

Caribbean CSOs are the main target audience, but it will be accessible to anyone with an interest in the role played by CSOs in implementing the SDGs in the region, including: government stakeholders responsible for national implementation of the SDGs; multi-stakeholder committees formed by national governments to support SDG implementation; United Nations agencies which are coordinating work around the SGDs nationally and regionally; donor agencies supporting SDG-related work by CSOs; other SDG knowledge platforms, regionally and globally, with an interest in the contributions of Caribbean civil society towards the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda; the media; and the Caribbean public.

By increasing knowledge about the SDGs in the Caribbean and strengthening national and regional networks, the platform will promote and enhance civil society inclusion in and contributions to development, implementation, monitoring and reporting on the SDGs.
ENDS

About CANARI: The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) is a regional technical non-profit organisation which has been working in the islands of the Caribbean for 30 years. Our mission is to promote equitable participation and effective collaboration in managing natural resources critical to development. Our programmes focus on capacity building, policy planning and development, research, sharing and dissemination of lessons learned, and fostering regional partnerships. See here for more information on CANARI: http://www.canari.org/.

The Caribbean Civil Society SDGs Knowledge Platform is managed by CANARI. CANARI is the coordinator (and a member) of the SDGs Catalysts Network established under the CSOs4GoodGov project and partners with other CSO Catalysts to secure contributions to the platform.