Newsletter – n°32 – April 2015
Headlines
PLATFORMA seminar for Dialogue and Capacity building of local and regional authorities in Asia-PacificThe Regional seminar for dialogue and capacity-building of local and regional authorities in Asia-Pacific in the fields of development and local governance, took place on the 29th and 30th April 2015 in Manila (Philippines).
The seminar, organised with the support of the European Commission and with the contribution of CLGF, VNG International and UCLG ASPAC, aimed at reinforcing institutional and operational capacities of local and regional governments (LRGs) in the Asia-Pacific region, and at supporting them become development actors in their own right.
More than 60 representatives of local and regional governments, associations of local authorities, European Union Delegations and civil society from over 15 countries of the vast region Asia-Pacific were gathered to discuss on the challenges and opportunities to support development, decentralisation and local government advocacy in the Asia-Pacific region towards central governments. It was also a great opportunity to understand the support mechanisms and instruments available to LRGs, and to share ideas on how to reinforce decentralised cooperation between local and regional actors from EU member states and partner countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
During the opening ceremony, PLATFORMA called for participants to observe a one minute silence in tribute to all the victims of the earthquake in Nepal.
Among the highlights of these two days, VNG International presented the various funding instruments made available by the European Union for LRGs in the Asia Pacific region and thanks to CLGF and UCLG ASPAC the participants were presented with an overview of the possibilities and experiences of strategic planning for local economic development. Other sessions of the seminar allowed first-hand discussions about work that has been carried out from the perspective of local representatives in charge of international cooperation. In addition, participants of the seminar expressed their ideas on the content of the Communication “Empowering Local Authorities in partner countries for enhanced governance and more effective development outcomes” published by the European Commission in May 2013.
The event succeeded in generating recommendations on how to further empower local governments in the Asia-Pacific region in order to strengthen democratic local governance, decentralisation and more effective development outcomes. Moreover, the value of local and regional governments was once more evidenced, in line up with the European Year for Development.
This seminar was the last of a series of event organised by PLATFORMA to conceive a two-way dialogue allowing elected representatives from local and regional governments to provide the Commission with feedbacks on the EU development policy. A wrap-up seminar will be organised during the Assises of Decentralised Cooperation held on the 1st and 2nd of June.
