Opening statement by the Local Authorities Major Group
Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting
13th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development
28 February 2005
Presented by Mme Elisabeth Gateau
Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments
Local government is the sphere of government closest to the people; it is at the
local level that the provision of most basic services is ensured, including water,
sanitation and the development of human settlements.
Local Authorities express their desire to see proposals for action put forward at the
CSD-13 to strengthen the implementation of the commitments made at the
Johannesburg Summit. Despite the proposals put forward on behalf of local
authorities at the CSD-12 in 2004, enormous challenges still remain to be met.
Local Authorities have identified and submitted to the Secretary-General the
following priorities for action in the areas of water, sanitation and human
settlements:
1. Consolidating the links between the local and national sphe res: national plans
for the reduction of poverty and for sustainable development should take
local priorities into account to a greater degree in order to guarantee a
coherent approach; local governments should participate in national planning
strategies in order that an integrated approach for the governance of water
resources can be developed. National strategies need to foster dialogue and
cooperation between urban and rural areas and encourage greater regional
coherence.
2. Strengthening local governments: implementation of capacity -building
programmes for local decision-makers and local government staff, namely
through the support of local government associations and cooperation between
cities, in addition to national government and donor support.
3. Decentralising regulatory powers and resources (financial, technical and
management). More financial autonomy at local level and respect for the principle
of subsidiarity in order to establish closer relationships between service providers
and recipients, improve the mobilisation of local resources and better direct them
towards the reduction of poverty.
4. Improving access to funding for service provision at the local level. New
mechanisms - involving national and local governments, international financial
institutions and development cooperation agencies ? should be provided in order to
support investment, according to the recommendations put forward by the World
Panel on Financing Water Infrastructure. Groupings of local associations at the
regional level could also facilitate access to funding.
5. Recognising the primary importance of good local governance for water
and human settlements: This should be based on respect for fundamental rights,
particularly access to water in sufficient quantities and housing for all, taking
account of gender and other inequalities, as well as respect for sustainable
consumption and production thanks to collaboration between all stakeholders. This
also involves the strengthening of competencies with a participatory approach. The
implementation of local Agenda 21 programmes is an excellent example of the
success of the participatory process (6,400 cities throughout the world). New
partnership measures have likewise been developed between governments and
grassroots organisations, for example the ?Localising the MDGs? and ?Capacity 2015?
initiatives. Such initiatives need significant support at the national and international
levels to ensure their effective application on the ground.
6. With regard to human settlements more specifically, tenure must be
guaranteed to the inhabitants of ?informal? settlements in order to provide them
with piped water and sewage systems. The delivery of basic services to informal
and illegal settlements should be a commitment of all stakeholders.
7. Governments and international institutions should encourage international
cooperation among local governments through the establishment of networks,
the exchange of technical information and study visits in order to allow each city to
learn from the experience of others. They should also provide additional support to
urban development aid programmes. And finally, they should encourage local
initiatives.
Local Authorities, as a Major Group, welcome the efforts being made by some
national governments. There are excelle nt examples of cooperation between the
national and local spheres in several countries, as was demonstrated by the side
event run by Local Authorities at CSD-12. Local Governments have a great deal of
experience and expertise in service provision and delivery, have tried and tested a
wide variety of sustainable development initiatives, and can provide valuable inputs
to national strategies.
Local governments appeal to Member States for greater involvement and support to
local governments in order to accele rate the implementation of the commitments
made at the Johannesburg and Rio Summits, as well as to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals.
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Contact:
Organising Partner for the Local Authorities Major Group
ICLEI ? Local Governments for Sustainability
City Hall, Toronto, Canada
Tel: +1-416 / 392 1462, Fax: +1-416 / 392 1478
Email:
ruth.tregale@iclei.org
Web:
www.iclei.org