Africities localising sdg last

Building a toolkit for the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals Session SO-01, Africities, 01st December 201, 14:30 – 18:00

Background The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015. It includes a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030. The SDGs build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight anti-poverty targets that the world committed to achieving by 2015. Lessons learned from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) implementation process have shown that national and local ownership is indispensable for success and consequently that the achievement of critical objectives and challenges of the Post-2015 Agenda would also depend on strong local action and leadership embedded in a coordinated and effective multi-level governance system. This is so because local institutions, local economic actors and communities give legitimacy to global/national efforts towards the realization of local and national development outcomes by grounding development choices in the will of the people through popular participation and ownership.

Among the issues that are critical to the successful implementation and attainment of the Post-2015 Agenda is “localization” – i.e. the need to identify various specific mechanisms, tools, and policies to put the territories at the center of the SDGs implementation efforts. In light of the above, UNDP and UNHabitat, on behalf of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG), together with the Global Task Force of Local and Regional governments for Post-2015 Agenda towards and Habitat III (GTF) undertook in 2014 a dialogue process aimed at localizing the future development agenda. The Dialogue, which took place in form of consultations in 13 countries from different Regions of the world, resulted in some key messages and recommendations to foster the local implementation of the Post-2015 goals. In particular, many Governments and actors involved in the Dialogues further expressed the need to be informed and equipped with concrete strategies and mechanisms able to translate the key outputs of the process into substantial development plans and policies that support the localization of the national goals and targets.

Upon this request and building on the forged alliance, the three partners have started working on the elaboration of the toolkit, whose objective is to identify and propose a set of instruments and mechanisms that can facilitate the localization of the SDGs. It will be built upon an extensive review of already-existing local development and local governance toolkits and mechanisms, in view of capturing essential recommendations, lessons learned and best practices that could be adapted to the future implementation process of the SDGs at the local level. The kit will look at crucial areas that need to be addressed in order to successfully implement the 2030 Agenda at local level, such as the integration of the three pillars of sustainable development within local development systems, inclusiveness, multilevel governance, monitoring and accountability, and the role of territorial partnerships, among others.

The toolkit shall have a consistent but also flexible approach to be adaptable to different circumstances.

It will be designed to play various functions: stocktaking (analysis of the existing tools and

systematization of their main proposals); awareness rising and communication; advocacy (support to the lobbying process for “localizing” the SDGs) and also providing practical technical guidance of tools and mechanisms for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at local level. The toolkit will be elaborated through participatory workshops and experts meetings (like the current one in Africities) and is being guided by a leading consultant.

Objective of the session The main goal of this session will be to discuss the role of African local governments in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and in particular how can they better play their role as champions for the localization of the SDGs. The findings of the session will feed the Toolkit for Localizing the SDGs. Structure of the session: 14:30h. Introduction: The role of the local governments in the implementation of the SDGs. The SDGs adopted by the UN are a result of a broad and inclusive consultative process. Beyond the Goal 11 to “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” that make direct reference to local levels, a majority of the SDGs have targets that are directly or indirectly related to the daily work of local and regional governments and need a strong involvement of local stakeholders.

Indeed, local governments should not be seen as mere implementers of the agenda. They can be catalysts of change and better link the global goals with local communities to make the difference.      

What are the differences between the MDGs and the SDGs? Why African local governments and civil society both in developed and developing countires should be involved in the definition and implementation of the SDGs and the urban agenda in?

How local governments and their organizations can contribute to build awareness and promote the SDGs goals and targets?

What local policies can local government implement in order to contribute to the localization of the SDGs? How can other levels of government –such as regional and national governments- foster or support these initiatives?

What are the African specificities that multilateral stakeholders, African regional organizations and African central governments should take into account to implement SDGs in the continent?

Presented by: Mr. Edgardo Bilsky, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Speakers: - Mr. Doku Mohammed Kwaku , President of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) and Municipal Chief Executive (Mayor) of Asunafo North Municipal Assembly in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana.

- Ms. Célestine Ketcha , Mayor of Bangangté, Cameroun - Mr. Arthur Wiggers, Deputy Director, VNG International Open dialogue

15.30h. Lessons learned from the localization of the MDGs Lessons learned from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) implementation process have shown that national and local ownership is indispensable for success and consequently that the achievement of critical objectives and challenges of the 2030 Agenda would also depend on strong local action and leadership embedded in a coordinated and effective multi-level governance system. A review of some relevant experiences and lessons learned in localization of the MDGs will be presented, as well as a first introduction on the challenges and opportunities for LRGs to locally implement the SDGs. The session will try to address the following questions: 

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The MDGs were the first global agenda for development that was meant to be applied locally.

What was the impact of the MDGs for local government? Did it support the capacities at local level? Or did it mean an additional task to implement?

What was the experience of local governments in Africa the implementation of the MDGs? Have they receive the support of the UN and of other international institutions? Was it a positive, trustworthy relationship? Were local government and their associations able to access to the MDGs fund?

What could we do different this time? How to make sure that the SDGs implementation process result in a real strengthening for local government to be able to do their job and respond to their citizens’ needs?

How can we balance the local needs and defend them from external imposition of priorities?

Presented by: Ms. Diana Lopez Caramazana, Local Government and Decentralization Unit, UN Habitat, on behalf of the UN System Speakers: - Mr. Albert Anicet Akoa, Mayor of Ngoulemakong and Vice president of the Association of Local Governments of Cameroun (CVUC) - Mr. Jean-Baptiste Kirimwinzigo, Director, Association of Local Governments of Burundi (ABELO) - Ms. Gemma Aguado, UNDP ART Initiative Open dialogue 16.30h. Elaboration of a toolkit for implementing the SDGs at local level The toolkit for localizing the SDGs, whose elaboration is currently being promoted by UNDP, UN Habitat and the GTF, will be presented to the participants of the workshop, specifically its objectives, target groups and key areas that will cover. The following guiding questions will be proposed: 

What is needed for LRGs to effectively act as champions of the localization of the SDGs? Is it a matter of capacities, financial resources, adequate decentralization policies, multilevel articulation, legislation frameworks…?

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Which are the most important advocacy mechanisms to put the SDGs on the national and local politics agenda? How can African LRGs contribute to create or strengthen that political commitment? And how can local and national political commitment be better articulated?

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How to create a joint vision of the localization of the SDGs in Africa, and to generate a broad partnership of all type of local governance stakeholders? What are the most relevant advocacy and communication mechanisms that can be applied for this purpose?

How can development partners support national local governments associations to advocate for the localization of the SDGs?

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Presented by: Mr. Johannes Krassnitzer / Ms. Gemma Aguado, UNDP ART Initiative, on behalf of the Steering Committee for the elaboration of the Toolkit for Localizing the SDGs First respondents: - Ms. Claire Frost, Programme Officer Research Officer, Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) - Mr. Charles Chunga, Executive Director of the Malawi Local Governments Association (MALGA) - Ms. Rachel Manxeba, Data Analyst, South African Local Government Association (SALGA)

Open dialogue / break-out groups This part of the session will be addressed at facilitating an interactive discussion with the participants on the questions above.

17.30h. Summary of inputs gathered and conclusions Steering Committee for the elaboration of the Toolkit for Localizing the SDGs : UNDP, UN Habitat and Global Task Force of Local and Regional governments for Post-2015 Agenda towards and Habitat III