Strong local democracy is reflected through active citizen engagement. In this context, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), community groups and grassroots leaders provide essential representative oversight on public matters, offering firsthand insights into local needs, supporting public service delivery and holding decision-makers accountable.

To support the institutionalisation of this collaborative approach, CLGF Caribbean has been implementing the EU-funded project ‘Connecting Civil Society and Local Authorities for Sustainable Development through Community Engagement and Enhancing Vocational Education’. Operating across four Eastern Caribbean territories- Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Nevis, and Carriacou and Petite Martinique, the project aims to bridge the gap between sub-national authorities and civic actors to advance sustainable local development. A central component of this work is supporting the compilation of digital Civil Society Registers in each jurisdiction, designed to provide up-to-date directories of local civic and community organisations.

On 21 October, the two islands Carriacou and Petite Martinique in Grenada formally signed an agreement to adopt the newly developed CSO Register. The directory was compiled as part of the School-Based Assessment (SBA) exercise of Bishop’s College, Carriacou, capturing 182 local stakeholders spanning schools, youth groups, faith-based organisations, cultural bodies, women’s groups and business associations.

Signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs and the Principal of Bishop’s College, this agreement formally endorses the register as an official institutional resource, and reinforces the commitment of the Local Government Department to citizen consultations and grassroots democratic resilience.