Localising the SDGs & delivering the 2030 Agenda? Local governments are already taking actions!

PLATFORMA and CEMR actively participated in the event to broadcast local governments’ active involvement. Local and regional governments played an important role in influencing the definition of the SDGs, campaigning for international recognition of the pivotal role of local and regional government in sustainable development. They are now demonstrating that all SDGs are local and defend multi-level governance. To this end, PLATFORMA is an active contributor to the work of the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments.

PLATFORMA has gathered a sample of concrete examples among its network:

“To implement the 17 goals on a local level, it is therefore essential to start from what is already there and documented,” explains the Association of Flemish Cities and Towns (VVSG) in a publication. “Although the sustainable development goals are still new, many local authorities feel that their actions are already sustainable,” the Belgian association defends.

40 worldwide cities committed to translate SDGs at the local level and signed the Declaration “Global goals, local focus”.

VVSG also developed a game methodology, together with 11.11.11, which facilitates dialogue and vision development for local authorities, advisory councils and other groups who want to learn about Sustainable Development Goals in their own municipality.

VVSG has just launched a video to explain citizens how to support the sustainable development of their towns.

For the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), global strategies for sustainable development will only succeed if they are in every city and region of the planet.FEMP and the Spanish Sustainable Development Network (REDS) have signed a collaboration agreement to favour compliance with the SDGs.

DIBA/Catalunya: a seminar

During the first edition of the European Days of Local Solidarity (EDLS), the Generalitat de Catalunya and Diputació de Barcelona (DIBA) organised a seminar showing that local and regional governments are getting into the international scene as key development actors while occupying a very important role in the implementation of the SDGs at the same time.VNGi: a campaign &… a time capsule

VNG International, the international co-operation agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities launched the Global Goals Municipal Campaign(description in English) to inform local governments in the Netherlands on the content of SDGs and to encourage them to take their responsibilities in realizing the Goals. Follow @GGGC2030 on Twitter.

VNGi also came up with the idea for a time capsule. Mayors and Alderman put their very personal wish for 2030 in the wooden container. Every wish gives answer to the same question: “What is your wish for our world in 2030?” Any municipality can ask for a visit from the capsule, creating opportunities for local media attention (article on Citiscope).

The first edition of the European Days of Local Solidarity (EDLS) was an opportunity for the Italian association AICCRE to express its disappointment concerning the silence in Italy on the Agenda 2030. “AICCRE and all the organizations that participated in the EDLS are concrete realities: if we join our voices and we demonstrate we are proactive, united, concrete and active on these issues, we can try to change this deficient mode of dialogue”, said AICCRE Secretary General Carla Rey.

Using local economic development as an approach to tackling poverty and encouraging sustainable development is having a positive impact on communities in West Africa, according to the results of CLGF’s work with national and local governments in the region.

UNDP, UN-Habitat & Global Task Force: a roadmap & a toolbox

UNDP, UN-Habitat and the Global Task Force published a roadmap for localizing the SDGs entitled “Implementation and monitoring at subnational level”.

They also created a “Toolbox” with practical, adaptable mechanisms and instruments, which address various development challenges.