Grounding the 2030 Agenda with Grassroots Perspectives and Meaningful Participation

A reflection piece by Aizhan Dzhanaeva, ALGA, Kyrgyzstan
& SDG Monitoring Alumni Partner 2026-2027

In February 2026, I had the opportunity to take part in several important civil society spaces in Bangkok as a representative of Public Association Women’s Organisation Alga, Kyrgyzstan in the Regional Partners’ Training on SDG Monitoring organised by APWLD from 18 to 20 February, the Asia Pacific Peoples’ Forum on Sustainable Development held on 22 and 23 February, and the 13th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development that followed.

These spaces created an opportunity to reflect on the realities communities face across the region and to better understand how grassroots monitoring and research connect to regional and global development discussions. With less than five years remaining until the 2030 Agenda deadline, these conversations felt particularly urgent.

Peer learning session during the training

Organisations working on SDG monitoring from different countries came together to share the community realities and their monitoring work. A key part of the training involved revisiting the GFMP framework, which looks at how globalisation, fundamentalism, militarism, and patriarchy shape development outcomes and reinforce structural inequalities.

Even though the themes of research differ across organisations, hearing partners’ experiences helped many of us rethink the structure of our monitoring work. The feedback exchanged during the sessions helped refine research approaches and identify challenges in data collection. Mentorship from APWLD facilitators helped clarify the next steps in the monitoring process and strengthen the link between research and advocacy.

APWLD SDG Monitoring Alumni Training

For organisations working closely with grassroots communities, these exchanges are particularly important. Communities often experience the impacts of development policies directly, yet their realities are not always reflected in official data or policy discussions. Strengthening community-based monitoring and research is one way to bring these lived experiences into policy spaces and demand accountability.

The timing of the training was also valuable. The Peoples’ Forum, held on 22 and 23 February, created an important space for civil society organisations and grassroots movements across the region to exchange perspectives and collectively reflect on the current state of the 2030 Agenda.

Civil society organisations raised concerns that progress on the SDGs remains uneven and that many targets are still far from being achieved. Discussions highlighted deeper structural challenges including rising inequality, debt burdens, militarisation, and the growing influence of corporate actors. At the same time, concerns about shrinking civic space were repeatedly raised, as restrictions on civil society participation continue to affect advocacy and accountability efforts in many countries. 

For many grassroots communities across the region, these challenges are not abstract policy debates. They directly affect people’s access to resources, services, and rights. The Peoples’ Forum therefore provided an important opportunity for civil society organisations to share community experiences and develop collective positions ahead of the official regional forum.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Peoples’ Forum was observing how different constituencies work together. Organisations representing women, youth, workers, Indigenous peoples, environmental groups, and other sectors brought their perspectives into the discussions while also identifying common concerns.

Through joint discussions and working sessions, organisations and constituencies developed factsheets and collective messages that later informed civil society engagement at APFSD. The statements delivered during the forum reflected extensive collaboration between different constituencies and the coordination work of the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism, demonstrating the collective effort behind civil society engagement in multilateral spaces.

However, the experience also revealed some of the limitations of participation within official processes. During the first day of APFSD, one of the most important sessions allowed only a very limited number of civil society statements to be delivered.

APRCEM silent action at APFSD

Despite these limitations, civil society organisations continued to find ways to make their voices visible. On the second day of APFSD, APRCEM organised a silent action to highlight the demands of communities and grassroots movements. Civil society representatives held posters calling for development justice and accountability in SDGs implementation. Behind these processes are real communities whose lives are shaped by the decisions being made.

Reflecting on these experiences, it becomes clear that strengthening grassroots monitoring and regional civil society collaboration remains essential for advancing development justice. While multilateral processes face increasing challenges and limitations, they also remain important spaces where civil society can raise critical issues, challenge dominant narratives, and push for greater accountability.

APWLD members and partners at APFSD 2026

Spaces such as the Peoples’ Forum play an important role in building solidarity across movements and strengthening collective strategies.
They allow civil society organisations to connect local realities with regional advocacy and ensure that the voices of communities remain part of the conversation.

As the region moves closer to the last mile of the 2030 Agenda, the role of grassroots movements and civil society organisations in shaping development discussions will become even more important. Strengthening solidarity, amplifying community voices, and continuing to push for Development Justice will remain essential in the years ahead.