The UN Development Cooperation High-Level Symposium, that took place in Kampala, Uganda, from 4 to 6 November, was the first opportunity, after the adoption of the 2030 Development Agenda, and under the UN auspices, to discuss the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. A delegation of UCLG Champions took part in the Forum, including Mr.
The Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) Steering Committee met on 3 and 4 September in Mexico, hosted by the Mexican Minister of External Relations. UCLG Champion on Development Cooperation, Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener and Vice-Treasurer of UCLG, supported by the CIB Working Group Secretariat, attended the meeting on behalf of the local and regional constituency represented by UCLG WS and FOGAR in this forum.
By UCLG Champion Nomveliso Nyukwana, Mayor of Emalahleni, South Africa
How can we empower local governments as leaders of development? Before answering this important question, I wish to first address why local governments should be leaders of development strategies.
The City of Seferihisar has been focusing on increasing the liveliness and stability of the economy based on agriculture, by promoting rural-urban food cooperation.
Champions Mayor Nondo and Mayor Nyukwana participated in the 2nd Preparatory Committee (PrepCom2) of Habitat III, which took place in Nairobi from 14 to 16 April in Nairobi, Kenya. It was the second meeting leading to the 3rd UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), that will take place in Quito in October 2016. The Habitat III agenda will assess the Habitat II commitments from the 1996 Istanbul conference and will further respond to challenges of urbanization.
Local governments: first line of defence against the most critical issues of humankind
I think that it is crucial to take local priorities as the starting point for development co-operation.
On the 16th of June 2014, a successful training for the UCLG Champions was held by the CIB Working Group in Liverpool, United Kingdom. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the progress in activities undertaken by the Champions to promote the key messages of the UCLG Policy Paper, and to analyse the several events they attended at the local level, the national level and the international level.
The President of the UN Economic and Social Council, H.E. Mr. Martin Sajdik, opened the UN Development Cooperation Forum in New York (10 – 11 July) by calling for challenging interventions.
“In an increasingly urban context, local and regional governments will need to provide basic services to hundreds of millions of new urban dwellers in the next 20 years and will need to facilitate local economic development initiatives. Priority should be given to empowering local governments to fulfil their potential as development actors to ensure effective, coherent and accountable development through bottom up and demand driven cooperation.”
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