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TOWARDS THE LOCALIZATION OF THE SDGs
Notes 1.
Introduction 1
In Afghanistan, according to the most updated and consolidated list developed by the country’s Central Statistics Office and the Independent Directorate of Local Governance, there are 34 provinces, 387 districts and 153 municipalities. However, there seem to be other territorial administrations that are popularly but not officially recognised. Afghanistan’s 2004 Constitution established new forms of provincial and district government. The national government appoints provincial and district governors and mayors. Provincial council elections were held in 2014 and 2018; however, municipal elections, both for the mayor and members of municipal councils, have never been held despite having a constitutional mandate. Municipalities are allowed to raise revenues and taxes and are responsible for delivering some of the urban services.
2
The first local elections since 2018 have been promised by the ruling administration, after consultations with the Council of the Republic. These were originally planned for 2020 but had been pushed back to an undetermined date. According to some accounts, these elections should be held before the next general elections, which are due in 2022. In August 2020, the Parliament failed to finalize all the procedures required to constitute the legal framework required for the elections. Observers have noted that this may be due to the central government’s hesitation to promote decentralization. This is a question which preceded the COVID-19 pandemic.
3
The island of New Providence, where the capital, Nassau, is located, is directly administered by the central government. The other islands are administered through the two types of local council that are found in Bahamas: second-schedule and third-schedule district councils, whose chief councillors and deputies are indirectly elected from amongst the elected officials. Local elections initially scheduled for 2020 have been postponed due to the health crisis.
4
In Bhutan, local assemblies are elected, but executive bodies are appointed.
5
The first local elections were organized in 2012. The second elections were scheduled for 2019 but have been postponed until April 2022. In 2012, the mayors of only 42 municipalities were elected, while the rest of the heads were appointed by the executive, much like in the departments subject to prefects and the provinces administered by governors. Recent changes in territorial organisation have been a consequence of two new ordinances (2019). Only 271 municipalities currently exercise their responsibilities as local self-governments.
6
These figures only refer to mainland China; they do not include the special administrative regions of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
7
In Cuba, the municipal assemblies are directly elected and they, in turn, elect the provincial assemblies.
8
If the northern part of the island is excluded, there are 380 local governments. Moreover, an on-going reform seeks to empower Cypriot municipal authorities. In particular, it provides for the amalgamation of 30 municipalities and 50 communities into 17 new municipal authorities.
9
There are 159 local self-governments in total, including the Santo Domingo National District: the state capital, which has its own special status. There are 3 macro regions, 10 regions and 31 provinces, and there are also currently 235 districts at the submunicipal level.
10
In Egypt, local councils/assemblies are elected, but the executives (governorates, presidents) are not.
11
There are 340 municipalities in Guatemala, in 22 departments and 8 regions. These are deconcentrated entities with governors and presidents respectively, both of which are appointed by the central government.
12
In Iraq, there has been a form of decentralized political and administrative government since 2008, when power was devolved to 18 provinces (governorates). Nevertheless, many challenges remain regarding the concretisation of this system of governance. Provincial councils are elected, but not the heads of local governments. The Kurdistan Regional Government is autonomous. At the municipal level, it is estimated that there are 91 districts and 141 tracts.
13
In Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the members of the Provincial People’s Council are elected, but only from the Lao People's Revolutionary Party’s candidates. The provinces are divided into districts, townships and villages. The total number given in the table is an approximation. The heads of local administrations (provincial governors, capital city mayors, district governors, municipal chiefs, and village chiefs) are appointed by the national government. Elected people’s committees are the basic units of self-government in villages.
14
According to the Constitution, the chiefs of the different regions should be elected. However, there are disputes regarding the appointment or election of provincial governors which, for the moment, remain appointed on the basis of the “gradualism of decentralization”: Arena R., “L’Exécutif défend la nomination des gouverneurs,” Tribune Madagascar, 2019, https://bit.ly/3wT9lh7.
15
Malaysia is made up of 3 federal territories, 13 states and 154 local governments. Local councillors are appointed by the state government.
16
The two regions on the Atlantic coast have a specific autonomous status, with appointed regional coordinators and regional autonomous councils, which are elected for five-year terms. Regional councillors must represent the ethnic diversity of the two regions. The regions are divided into administrative municipalities which are organized by their corresponding regional councils, based on local traditions. The municipalities are administered by municipal councils which are elected every 5 years.
17
Since 2020, following a structural reform consisting of local and regional amalgamations, there are 356 municipalities and 11 regional authorities in Norway. Oslo is both a region and a municipality.
18
Since 1991, municipal governments have been elected by direct suffrage for five-year terms of office. Since 1992, department governments have also been elected for five-year terms, yet the Constitution states that the departmental government represents the central government. This ambiguity poses numerous multi-level challenges in terms of governance.
19
In 2015, elections were held for two-thirds of the council seats. The 1992 Law of Provinces divided Saudi Arabia into 13 regions, each of which is headed by a prince belonging to the royal family. Each region has a regional council headed by an emir, appointed by the king, who has the rank of minister. Each region contains a number of governorates. In total, there are 118 governorates, containing a total of 285 municipal councils. The members of these councils are the local heads of the sectorial ministries, the heads of different government agencies, ten local citizens and local civic leaders. In Saudi Arabia, the local elections of 2005 and 2011 were for half of the council seats and were only open to male candidates and voters.
20
There is a dual system and some confusion as to the division of roles between the local councils and the 190 chiefdom councils. The latter correspond to the lowest administrative level and do not have any legislative functions or responsibilities. Further confusion was caused by the reintroduction, in 2011, of centrally appointed district officers.
21
Each municipality is led by an elected local council and mayor. The 76 provincial administrative organisations are headed by a chairperson and a provincial committee, alongside an elected legislative provincial council.
