“We are not asking for handouts—we are asking for recognition and support,” asserted Mahendranath Busgopaul, GCAP Global council member, representing GCAP Mauritius at the SIDS Civil Society Engagement Forum held from 12–13 May 2025 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The forum, a key prelude to the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), brought together civil society voices to influence global policy and financing frameworks. He recommended the creation of a dedicated, flexible and long-term funding mechanism for SIDS civil society organisations—one that is accessible, inclusive and tailored to local realities.

Organised by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the forum convened diverse voices from SIDS-based organisations to co-create recommendations for the SIDS Partnership Framework.

Local Challenges, Global Conversations

Mahendranath Busgopaul

Representing the local civil society of Mauritius, Busgopaul joined Breakout Group 2, which explored “Improving Access to Funding” for SIDS civil society organisations (CSOs). The discussion acknowledged that although SIDS CSOs are global frontrunners in grassroots climate action, marine protection and sustainable development, they remain systematically underfunded and overlooked by traditional donors.

“In Mauritius, as in many small island developing states, GCAP Mauritius is at the forefront of addressing climate change, ocean conservation and social justice,” said Busgopaul. “We are working together to drive these efforts forward. However, we face barriers of accessing sustainable and adequate funding. The complex application processes, short-term funding cycles and lack of tailored financial mechanisms are holding us back.”

“If we are to have a lasting impact, it’s essential that financing systems are designed to empower local actors, respect our unique challenges and create pathways that allow us to lead and innovate. This is not just about funding—it’s about ensuring that our communities have the resources and autonomy to build resilient, self-sustaining solutions that can stand the test of time. Together, through SIDS, we are working to make this vision a reality.”

Strategic Recommendations

The breakout session identified several key challenges and opportunities:

1. Funding barriers: complicated eligibility criteria, short funding cycles and exclusion from large-scale funding schemes;
2. Capacity gaps: limited resources to manage, report and scale funding impact;
3. Donor disconnect: inadequate understanding of SIDS contexts and priorities;
4. Underutilised models: lack of support for CSO-led enterprises or co-financing structures.

The group proposed co-designing a SIDS Civil Society Innovation Fund—a dedicated and simplified mechanism for grassroots organisations to access and manage resources in a sustainable and autonomous way. The mechanism would prioritise:

1. Multi-year, flexible grants,
2. Donor-CSO matchmaking platforms,
3. Capacity development for grant management and reporting,
4. Incentives for innovation, localisation and collaboration.

Role of the SIDS Partnership Framework

Participants agreed that the SIDS Partnership Framework should play a proactive role in implementing and scaling these recommendations by:

1. Championing inclusive funding at multilateral levels,
2. Facilitating pilot programs with built-in learning mechanisms,
3. Coordinating with donors and UN agencies to adopt flexible funding modalities that align with local needs.

Looking Ahead

As the Fourth International SIDS Conference draws closer, these proposals are set to influence the evolution of a resilient, community-driven and climate-smart development architecture.

–