Venice City Solutions – Financing the SDGs at local level
This first edition of the Venice City Solutions wants to explore how to make SDGs a reality for all from the local level. The event wants to bring a multi-level contribution on existing solutions and challenges to finance the SDGs at local level.
The approval of 2030 Agenda in September 2015 constitutes a unique opportunity for the world we live in. For the first time, all the member states of the United Nations committed to eradicating poverty, making the first universal plan of action for people, planet and prosperity.
Within the 2030 Agenda, cities take a very special place as instruments for growth, equality and opportunity, as for the first time, an objective dedicated exclusively to cities was included in the Agenda. SDG 11 wants to “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. Cities cannot be an opportunity for all in the absence of able, capable and accountable local governments. Local and regional governments all over the world are already committed to implement the SDGs at local level and their global networks have been very present in the design and first stages of implementation of the Agenda 2030.
OBJECTIVES
The dialogue aims at bringing together representatives of central governments, local and regional government associations, Mayors, Governors and other governmental representatives and selected partners to identify existing experiences, gathering data and providing solutions to the challenge of how to finance the implementation of the SDGs at local level.
The outcome document will inform the seventh UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development that will take place in year 2019 addressing the theme, ‘Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality’. Next year, the HLPF will conduct an in-depth review of SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), in addition to SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals) which is reviewed each year.
The Venice City Solutions event will contribute to the assessment of both SDG 16 and SDG 17th, as well as will be submitted for consideration to the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR), which is issued every four years.
Specific outputs of the Dialogue will include:
- Accelerating the implementation of SDGs at local level.
- Identifying mechanism of financial support for local and regional governments to achieve Agenda 2030.
- To create awareness about the need for local and regional governments to have the necessary financial resources to implement Agenda 2030.
- Assessment of national legislation conducive to the financing of the SDGs at local level.
- Identification of existing practices and initiatives, both at local and national level, about how different countries are making the SDGs a reality at local level, and for all.
- Elaboration about a very early set of data collection about municipal budgets dedicated to align to the SDGs.
- To share the national strategies that the different member states are putting into place to finance the SDGs at local level.
- Establishment of dialogue mechanisms between central and local governments to achieve the SDGs at local level.
- Map untapped financial instruments or practices to finance SDG at local level
ORGANISERS
The event is hosted by the Italian Association for the Council of European Municipalities (AICCRE) and financially supported by the European Union (via PLATFORMA) and UNACLA, with the technical contribution of FMDV. The event is co-organised by UNDP, UN-Habitat, UNCDF and United Cities and Local Governments.
The City Solutions Series wants to identify trends and innovation in local public management by linking the examples from specific territory with its contribution to achieve the global agendas, including the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the New Urban Agenda. The proposal is this will be the first edition of the Venice City Solutions, with possible editions in the subsequent years, concentrating in each occasion in one theme of relevance for the local implementation of the SDGs.
A technical visit to the City of Venice is also included in the programme on Saturday 17th November for participants wishing to stay. The visit will include aspects of how the unique city of Venice is facing urban sustainability and inclusion for its inhabitants within a highly challenging environment.
