19 July 2016
Local Governments, UN Agencies Launch Roadmap for Localizing SDGs
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Representatives of local and regional governments and UN agencies discussed the role played by local governance stakeholders in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring that no one is left behind, during the launch event of a 'Roadmap for Localizing the SDGs: Implementation at the Subnational Level.' The roadmap was launched by the Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments, through United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG); the Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development (nrg4SD); the UN Development Programme (UNDP); and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT).

ucgl_undp_habitat_nrgsd15 July 2016: Representatives of local and regional governments and UN agencies discussed the role played by local governance stakeholders in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring that no one is left behind, during the launch event of a ‘Roadmap for Localizing the SDGs: Implementation at the Subnational Level.’ The roadmap was launched by the Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments, through United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG); the Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development (nrg4SD); the UN Development Programme (UNDP); and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT).

The launch event took place on 15 July 2016, at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on the sidelines of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

Peter Wollaert, CIFAL Flanders, spoke about the work of CIFAL Flanders in Belgium, which is part of UNITAR’s network of International Training Centres dedicated to strengthening the capacities of government and civil society leaders to advance sustainable development and support SDG implementation. He said that CIFAL has: briefed the management teams of Antwerp on the SDGs; formed a task force to ensure that the “five Ps” of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships) are taken into account in the city’s programmes and policies; and done tours of the city hall to discuss the SDGs with directors of business, civil society and academia, as they are engaged in co-creating the city’s policies. Wollaert added that CIFAL is mapping the linkages between Antwerp’s policies and the 169 SDG targets, and plans to include the SDGs in Antwerp’s agreements with other cities worldwide, such as with Shanghai.

Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener, Canada, asserted that 60% of the SDGs will require the engagement of local authorities. He presented the UCLG roadmap, aimed at local and regional governments and their associations that seek to influence national policy-making in relation to implementing and monitoring the SDGs in their country. He said the role of local and regional government associations and networks is to: communicate the SDGs; launch national campaigns for the SDGs; identify and promote SDG champions; promote the commitment of local and regional governments; and promote education strategies through formal and informal education systems. He called for creating and supporting platforms to share lessons learned and best practices by cities, instead of “reinventing the wheel.”

Stan Nkwain, UNDP, reported that sub-national governments account for only 10% of public spending, despite their importance for “leaving no one behind.” He noted that their capacities are stretched by issues such as migration, natural disasters, youth unemployment and rapid urbanization. Noting that more than 1.5 billion people are expected to move to urban areas in developing countries over the next 20 years, and that in ten years a country like India will have to build a city equivalent to Chicago every year to cope with migration, he stressed the need for decentralization as a key enabler for SDG implementation.

Yamina Djacta, UN-HABITAT, said the 2030 Agenda is about interconnections, both vertical, among the different levels of governance, and horizontal, between the UN agencies, all UN pillars, and all stakeholders. Noting that the SDGs depend on strong local action embedded in a multi-layer, multi-stakeholder framework, she stressed that the HABITAT III Agenda will be essential to SDG implementation, as it relates to country action at the local level.

The 2016 session of the HLPF is taking place from 11-20 July, in New York, US. [IISD RS Sources] [Roadmap for Localizing the SDGs] [HLPF 2016 Website] [IISD RS Coverage of HLPF 2016]


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