Inclusive Economy: Reaching Locals in Ways Governments Cannot Do
UCLG ASPAC has been working on the mission to enhance inclusive Local Economic Development (LED), to build green and sustainable business, to enhance local government’s capacity in promoting Small and Medium Enterprises among ASEAN countries and to strengthen entrepreneurship within ASEAN. As one of its efforts to enliven the mission, UCLG ASPAC, in collaboration with OXFAM GB, WIEGO, CityNet, Rockefeller Foundation and others, has organized “The Inclusive Economies in Cities in South-East Asia Workshop” in Bangkok on 1011th May. The workshop aim was to provide a space for concerted dialogue between stakeholders (City governments, CBOs, NGOs, Private Sector, and National Governments) and it attempted to develop commonly determined tools for bringing about Inclusive LED in cities in this region. During this meeting, key role of international frameworks, particularly SDGs, HABITAT III and ASEAN have been explored. This workshop acted as a timely opportunity for discussions and recommendations for “Habitat III” - the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, which will take place in October 2016 in Quito. This program witnessed delegates from Asian countries and played the role of providing a platform to participants from different parts of the region to discuss solutions and create a roadmap to promote LED, define local government roles in informal economies, and to share knowledge and experience and lessons learned from cities in South East Asian countries.