Newsletter – n°21 – May 2013
In other news
PLATFORMA at the seminar ‘New challenges and new partnerships in decentralised cooperation’Speaking at an event organised by the Instituto Marques Valle Flor (IMVF) on the new challenges and partnerships in decentralised cooperation, Octavi de la Varga Mas, who represented PLATFORMA, highlighted that local and regional governments (LRG) are not longer questioned as key actors in development and therefore that they should be taken into account when shaping the international development agendas (which includes the follow-up to Rio + 20, the post-2015 development framework and HABITAT III).
In addition, M. de la Varga Mas (Diputacio de Barcelona) pointed out as well the challenges that decentralised cooperation and local and regional governments are currently facing: decentralised cooperation budget cuts in some countries; the arrival of new actors which are strengthening the south/south cooperation and the so called triangular cooperation; the articulation of new partnerships with other actors (in particular those of their own territories); the territorial approach to development; and the difficult balance between the richness and diversity of LRG and the need for a joint voice.
Finally stressing the raising profile of LRG in development M. de la Varga Mas welcomed the adoption of the Communication ‘Empowering Local Authorities in partner countries for enhanced governance and more effective development outcomes’. In particular he expressed satisfaction with regards to key elements of the Communication such as the reinforcementof national association of local authorities, the articulation of the EU support to local authorities around the support to decentralisation processes, the promotion of a territorial approach to development or the possibility to decentralise budget support operations.
