Newsletter – n°24 – October 2013

The world at a glance

United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and Regions United/Forum of Global Associations of Regions (RU/FOGAR) participated as observers to the Fourth meeting of the Steering Committee of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC), held in Washington DC on 10-11 October 2013.

This is the very first time that local and regional governments are invited to this Committee, although participation has been continuously requested since the adoption of the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperationin 2011, which recognizes the critical role played by local and regional governments in development effectiveness.

PLATFORMA has been supporting this claim vis-à-vis the European Commission - full member of the Steering Committee, and other European institutions. In its recently published Report on local authorities and civil society: Europe’s engagement in support of sustainable development, the European Parliament  calls specifically on the Commission to support the inclusion of LRA representatives in the Steering Committee of the Global Partnership.

UCLG-RU/FOGAR hopes to consolidate this presence as observers, while aiming at full membership. The issue will be discussed in the next meeting of the Steering Committee (Abuja, January 2014) and decided upon during the first High-level meeting of the GPEDC (Mexico City, 15-16 April 2014). This event is also expected to review progress on Busan implementation and its impact on inclusive development, and to address specific topics such as domestic resource mobilization, middle-income countries, South-South cooperation, triangular cooperation and knowledge-sharing, and Private sector – business as a partner in development.

Specific proposals of UCLG-RU/FOGAR for the High-level meeting presented in Washington include launching an international “roadmap” to improve the enabling environment for local and regional governments, presenting a case study or initiative on the role of local governments in middle income countries (e.g. in addressing urban poverty and regional disparities) and examining domestic resource mobilization at the sub-national level of government. In addition, it was requested that funding is made available for the participation in the High-level meeting of representatives of local and regional governments from developing countries.

For more information, please contact Ms Lupe Moreno (lmorenoi@gencat.cat) and Mr Edgardo Bilsky (e.bilsky@uclg.org).