Caribbean Civil Society SDGs Knowledge Platform
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the idea for the Caribbean Civil Society SDG Knowledge Platform come from?
The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) is part of a Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) consortium of seven leading civil society organisations (CSOs) that is implementing the CSOs For Good Governance: Enhancing civil society's contribution to governance and development processes in Trinidad and Tobago (CSOs4GoodGov) project . The project, which is supported by the European Union (EU), is designed to support and catalyse effective CSO participation in implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda in T&T. The Caribbean Civil Society SDGs Knowledge Platform is a key tool towards achieving this project goal.
Why do we need a Caribbean Civil Society SDG Knowledge Platform?
We believe that CSOs will be able to participate more effectively in SDG advocacy and implementation if they are well informed about the SDGs and inspired by what other Caribbean CSOs are doing. The SDG 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 or regionally
- a networking forum for CSOs (and where appropriate, their partners) to discuss their experiences, exchange ideas and share lessons learned
- an opportunity to collaborate in order to enhance the capacity, voice and visibility of CSOs in national and regional SDG policy and actions
Who is the Caribbean Civil Society SDG Knowledge Platform intended for?
Caribbean CSOs are the main target audience of the SDG Knowledge Platform but it will be accessible to anyone with an interest in the role played by CSOs in implementing the SDGs in the region. For example:
- government stakeholders responsible for national implementation of the SDGs (e.g. Ministries of Planning and Development and their line agencies)
- multi-stakeholder committees formed by national governments to support SDG implementation
- regional intergovernmental bodies working on the SDGs, such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission
- United Nations agencies, such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC), 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; and
- the media