Chapter 3: The participation of LRGs in the reporting process
Chapter 3: The participation of LRGs in the reporting process
Lecture 15 min Slides 14-16
The participation of LRGAs in the reporting process is essential for the inclusion of the local perspective within the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. LRGAs may, or may not, however, be directly invited to participate in the drafting of the VNRs. National governments may launch consultation processes that involve LRGs, but they may also proceed without them. In fact, the presence of LRGs will probably tend to be channelled through their national associations and networks (those of major cities, metropolises and federal regions may be directly asked to participate by their national authorities, although this cannot be guaranteed). Once the consultation process has been launched, LRGAs should prepare to participate and guarantee that the local and regional perspective is taken into account. If LRGAs have been invited to participate, they must adjust their participation to the framework in question (and even strive for a more prominent role if they do not feel that they are sufficiently represented). If LRGAs have not been invited to participate, as may be the case in many countries, a formal request should be addressed to their respective national authorities, justifying the importance of including the views and contributions of LRGs with respect to the SDGs. In this context, alliances with other stakeholders, including the representatives of the international community present in their country, may well prove essential. Today, the situations of LRGs, in all the countries involved, that either submitted, or promised to submit, a VNR on the introduction of SDGs to HLPF 2016 (22 countries reporting), HLPF 2017 (43 countries) or 2018 (46 countries) are quite diverse. Two particular lessons that were learnt from the drafting of the UCLG Local and Regional Governments’ Report to the 2017 HLPF can be highlighted in this respect: •
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Greater efforts are needed to involve LRGs in the VNRs and institutional mechanisms for coordination and follow-up. Fewer than half of the VNR consultations and one third of the follow-up mechanisms in the 99 countries involved related to local government organisations. Achieving the SDGs will require collaboration both within and between governments ‘to a level that has not been seen before’. Current levels of involvement are clearly insufficient and threaten to become an unbridgeable gap for the achievement of the goals. National governments and UN institutions need to further develop multilevel spaces for dialogue and joint action. These must ensure the participation and engagement of local and regional leaders, both in the reporting process — via the VNRs —
