Region urged to unlock decision-making to key organisations

A call is being made for leaders in Barbados and the region to involve civil society organisations (CSO) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) more in their decision-making processes.

Officer-in-Charge at the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC) Richard Jones has argued that NGOs and CSOs, also referred to as the third sector, have been playing a major role in providing critical support to individuals and families over the years but yet within the CARIFORUM region civil society seems to be “locked out” of key decision-making.

He also noted that “the build back better conversations” were being had with captains of industry, financial and other sectors, but the NGOs and CSOs were seemingly omitted from those discussions.

Jones said the need for the participation of NGOs and CSOs in the decision-making process across the region was more urgent now than ever as the pandemic increases the demand for services from the sector.

“The inclusion of NGOs in policy decision-making could provide a stronger direct link between those vulnerable populations, providing knowledge on the challenges they face and the type of development responses required to ensure that no individual is left behind,” said Jones.

He made the comments as he addressed the launch of the CPDC 11th European Development Fund civil society project at the Marriott Hotel on Tuesday, under the theme Enhancing CARIFORUM’s Civil Society Capacity to Participate in National and Regional Development Programming and Policy Making.

The €1.3 million project being funded largely by the European Union to the tune of €1.2 million, seeks to foster an enabling environment for enhanced civil society involvement in the region through strengthening of advocacy, networking, skills capability, access to resources and documenting and showcasing the sector’s important historical role in the region’s development.

“High inflationary times with a significant increase of cost of living, especially in food and basic necessities of life, can create an unfavourable social and economic environment. Inclusivity is one way to ensure that vulnerable and maginalised voices are heard and integrated into the policy-making process,” said Jones.

“Through this funding, we are doing our part to facilitate inclusive policy-making in the CARIFORUM region. But we recognise that we cannot do this alone. We call on our governments to listen to the voices and experiences of those who represent some of our most vulnerable groups in society,” he said.

This call comes against the background of a 2020/2021 institutional assessment by the CPDC that showed that some 72 per cent of NGOs assessed said they were excluded on the policy responses to COVID-19.

Jones maintained that even beyond the pandemic, the same perspective on limited inclusion has been a commonly reported occurrence within the NGO sector at the national and regional level.

“The omission of NGOs from these critical responses could result in vulnerable populations being overlooked, excluded, or not accommodated with the required level of sensitivity necessary, particularly those living with disabilities,” he said.

The regional development specialist also urged third sector representatives to “speak up” in their most trying times in order to “give a voice to the voiceless”.

“It is not always an easy or popular task, but it is an essential one. We must also remember that civil society’s role and appearance as impartial actors and effective representatives of the marginalised are critical to the trust that so many of our Caribbean peoples have placed in us,” he said.

Head of the European Union Delegation to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska said governments in the region should view civil society organisations as an asset and not as threats.

She also expressed concern about “inadequate consultation exercises” seen in many places.

“We are hearing complaints about timing with short consultation windows, and there have also been issues around the design of the consultation where it is sometimes framed to appear to be intended to produce the response that authorities want to receive.

“There is also a distinct problem with consultation feedback. It was often difficult in the past for CSOs to know the extent to which they were really contributing to public policy and some organisations feel that their contribution has fallen into a black hole and may simply have been ignored,” she said.
marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb