Local and regional governments at the heart of the Global Agenda 2030
Description
The negotiation of the SDGs started in 2013 with a participatory process that gathered relevant stakeholders to discuss the nature of the new priorities to eradicate poverty and provide opportunities for all. A key issue was the need to ‘localize’ the framework, assessing the local impact of the SDGs and ensuring a local dimension. In 2014, UNDP, UN-Habitat the GTF were appointed to lead the dialogue on the implementation of the Post-2015 agenda at the local level. Local and national consultations took place in 13 countries together with a number of regional and global consultation, resulting in a strategic global coalitions of partners – LRGs, CSO, United Nations agencies, etc. The Dialogues resulted in key messages underling the importance of LRGs in promoting sustainable development and in guaranteeing social inclusion, national ownership and institutional accountability. The results showcased how the new Agenda could not be locally implemented without the leadership of LRGs. A final report, including recommendations and suggestions to facilitate the road ahead, was developed and shared in international events and policy discussions and presented to key decision-makers of the Post-2015 framework. The relevant actors involved in the Dialogues expressed the need to be equipped with strategies, mechanisms and capabilities to translate the key outputs of the process into substantial development plans. <br />
Therefore, the partners have developed a methodology and a Toolbox for localizing the SDGs www.localizingthesdg.org. The Toolbox provides support by setting advocacy arguments and concrete mechanisms to address common global development challenges related to SDGs implementation at the local level. It focuses on main conceptual areas (multilevel governance, local strategic planning, monitoring), that constitute the base for the local implementation of the SDGs. The Toolbox proposes an articulated set of tools able to support local stakeholders and their networks, under the leadership of LRGs, in their advocacy and during the design and implementation of development policies in their territories, in coherence with the SDGs. The elaboration of the Toolbox has been carried out through a preliminary identification and review of existing toolkits and mechanisms and has been informed through technical participatory workshops at different levels (local, national and global in different regions of the world). The inputs obtained from these participatory sessions are systematized by the team and integrated in the Toolbox process. With the launch of the knowledge platform, a strong communication strategy is in place to reach out and involve a diversity of partners. The toolbox is designed as a “flexible” instrument, to be adapted to each national situation in line with the outcomes of the participative elaboration process. The toolbox addresses both the North and the Global South contexts<br />
The capacity development activities are led with a training of trainer logic, targeting primarily national and regional local government associations, for them to train subsequently their members. <br />
The process has involved Local and National Governments, but also representatives of civil society, academia and the private sector. The dialogues aimed to be open and inclusive, providing national and local governments and other local stakeholders with a platform to formulate ideas on how to implement the post-2015 agenda in their own words. The toolbox gathers papers, tools, best practices and innovative solutions for the localization, identifying gaps as well as alternative approaches for localizing the implementation of the SDGs in different institutional environments and circumstances, underlying the universality of the Goals. These contributions join the inputs gathered through Technical Participatory Workshops at different level (local, national and global in different regions of the world) that capture the different views and experiences of a selected audience of local governance stakeholders. The selection of the participants stick to a strong gender equality principle, promoting woman participation and engagement. Particularly, the participatory workshops tackle specific sustainable development aspects and will be accompanied by a facilitator to guide the process in close cooperation with the Steering Committee. <br />
The platform builds on existent experiences and it promotes examples of inspiring, replicable local solutions or tools to enable learning and upscaling of successes. All relevant actors are encouraged to enrich this global exercise by uploading and sharing their experiences and engaging in real-time discussions with all the participating partners<br />
A Roadmap for localizing the SDGs: implementation and monitoring at subnational level https://goo.gl/9oY8VK provides guidelines to support awareness-raising; sub-national advocacy in national processes, implementation and monitoring strategies. It can be adapted to specific contexts and needs of different cities and regions. It also constitutes the backbone of the methodology and training strategy. <br />
Eventually, training modules on localizing the SDGs are under development. The 1st training module is an introductory module aiming to raise awareness on key issues around the localization of the SDGs. It intends to bring the Agenda and its localization closer to the LRG representatives. It will be complemented and followed by several additional modules that will dig deeper into some of the key issues of the localization process. A second training module will aim to allow LRGs to improve their planning processes in line with the SDGs and the related targets.
The three participating institutions have established a Steering Committee with participation of UNDP, UN-Habitat and the Global Taskforce of local and regional governments (GTF) who gathers the major local government associations and global networks (more information at www.gtf2016.org ).The Steering Committee works in close collaboration with national, regional and local governance stakeholders, taking into consideration the necessary leadership that local and regional governments need to exercise for the implementation of the SDGs at local level. In this sense, national associations of local governments are being mobilized by the GTF while UNDP and UN-Habitat are working through their national offices in the participating countries, bringing the different stakeholders together, ensuring coordination with the national level and bringing along other agencies from the UN system. UNDP and UN-Habitat Regional Centers will also be involved as they bring their experience in promoting knowledge management and exchange of experiences. Furthermore, international organizations, research institutes, academic institutions, NGOs, CSOs, the private sector, foundations and other institutions gathering relevant knowledge and experience are also invited to contribute to the process.At national level, ONE UN will lead the whole governance system in order to guarantee participation, coherence and coordination among UN entities.
The implementation of the SDGs at the local level can represent an enormous opportunity to strengthen Local and Regional Governments’ managerial skills, policy formulation, accountability systems while fostering inclusive growth and inclusiveness at the same time.The key role of local and regional governments in development was underlined as part of the consensus of the entire Dialogues on Localizing SDGs that took place in 2014 process. Effective decentralization and subsidiarity were a necessary pointed out of the basis of development in almost all the countries consulted. However, the devolution of power should be accompanied by an appropriate environment that allows local and regional governments to fulfil their responsibilities.<br />
<br><br />
<br>Participants in all countries agreed on the importance of strengthening transparency to allow people to access and manage public information and as a way of increasing the accountability of governments and public managers. The process has given emphasis to mechanisms that facilitate stronger intergovernmental coordination, allowing the full participation of all levels of government.So far, the process has resulted in a strategic global coalition of partners, including regional/local government representatives, civil society groups, democracy advocates, United Nations agencies and Member States. The process illustrated the need –and potential – for national and local governments to work together in localizing the Post-2015 agenda. Preliminary results suggest a position to improve local governance processes and local institutional capacity, and confirm the importance of territorial development as a strong base for global development.
SDGS & Targets
Goal 11
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
11.1
By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums
11.1.1
Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing
11.2
11.2.1
Proportion of population that has convenient access to public transport, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
11.3
11.3.1
Ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate
11.3.2
Proportion of cities with a direct participation structure of civil society in urban planning and management that operate regularly and democratically
11.4
Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
11.4.1
Total per capita expenditure on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by source of funding (public, private), type of heritage (cultural, natural) and level of government (national, regional, and local/municipal)
11.5
By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations
11.5.1
Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
11.5.2
Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global domestic product (GDP)
11.5.3
(a) Damage to critical infrastructure and (b) number of disruptions to basic services, attributed to disasters
11.6
By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management
11.6.1
Proportion of municipal solid waste collected and managed in controlled facilities out of total municipal waste generated, by cities
11.6.2
Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population weighted)
11.7
11.7.1
Average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use for all, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
11.7.2
Proportion of persons victim of non-sexual or sexual harassment, by sex, age, disability status and place of occurrence, in the previous 12 months
11.a
Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning
11.a.1
Number of countries that have national urban policies or regional development plans that (a) respond to population dynamics; (b) ensure balanced territorial development; and (c) increase local fiscal space
11.b
By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels
11.b.1
Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030
11.b.2
Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies
11.c
Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials
Goal 17
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development
17.1
Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection
17.1.1
17.1.2
17.2
Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries; ODA providers are encouraged to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries
17.2.1
17.3
Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources
17.3.1
Additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries from multiple sources
17.3.2
17.4
Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress
17.4.1
17.5
Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries
17.5.1
Number of countries that adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for developing countries, including the least developed countries
17.6
Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism
17.6.1
Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed
17.7
Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed
17.7.1
Total amount of funding for developing countries to promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies
17.8
Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology
17.8.1
17.9
Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation
17.9.1
Dollar value of financial and technical assistance (including through North-South, South‑South and triangular cooperation) committed to developing countries
17.10
Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda
17.10.1
17.11
Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020
17.11.1
Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global exports
17.12
Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access
17.12.1
Weighted average tariffs faced by developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing States
17.13
Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence
17.13.1
17.14
Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development
17.14.1
17.15
Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development
17.15.1
17.16
Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries
17.16.1
Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
17.17
Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships
17.17.1
Amount in United States dollars committed to public-private partnerships for infrastructure
17.18
By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts
17.18.1
Statistical capacity indicators
17.18.2
17.18.3
Number of countries with a national statistical plan that is fully funded and under implementation, by source of funding
17.19
By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries
17.19.1
17.19.2
Proportion of countries that (a) have conducted at least one population and housing census in the last 10 years; and (b) have achieved 100 per cent birth registration and 80 per cent death registration
SDG 14 targets covered
Deliverables & Timeline
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
| Title | Progress Status | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| Partnership Progress 2017-05-05 | On track |
Feedback
Share
Timeline
Entity
Geographical coverage
More information
Countries
Contact Information
UNDP ART Initiative, UN HABITAT, Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments , UNDP ART Initiative, UN HABITAT, Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments