Local and Regional Governments will be assessing progress of the localization of SDGs at the 2018 HLPF

240 local and regional governments representatives, including 70 Mayors and Regional Presidents, will carry out joint mobilization at the 2018 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) to convey local perspectives on the localization of the 2030 Agenda.

(This article was initially published on UCLG website)

From July 15th to 18th will be taking place the first edition of the Local and Regional Governments’ Forum (16th); the Local 2030 event (17th), and the presentation of the 2nd Global Report on the Localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (18th). This complete programme will showcase how local and regional governments are already implementing the global agendas through their public services.

Cities are already implementing the global agendas at the local level. Indeed, the achievement of the SDGs and the review of the goals are an integral part of UCLG’s overall strategy. This is why local and regional governments are demanding a permanent seat at the global table and working towards a more collaborative model of governance. The Local and Regional Governments’ Forum is a key milestone towards this end.

Local and regional governments’ delegation

The local and regional governments’ delegation will be present through most part of the HLPF; however, the largest delegation will attend from 15^th to 18^th July. UCLG will be strongly represented through its Presidency and members. Parks Tau, President of UCLG, on behalf of the Global Taskforce, will address the Local and Regional Governments’ Forum during it Opening Ceremony. Among the mayors attending the HLPF will be: Ada Colau, Mayor of Barcelona and Co-President of UCLG; Michael Müller, Mayor of Berlin and Vice-President for Metropolis; Daniel Martínez, Mayor of Montevideo; Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal, Carlos Martínez, Mayor of Soria and Vice-President of UCLG for Europe; and Fatimetou Abdel Malick, Mayor of Tevragh-Zeina.

In addition, Lalao Ravalomanana, Mayor of Antananarivo; Ramón Mestre, Mayor of Córdoba; Zandile Gumede, Mayor of Durban; Peter Kurtz, Mayor of Mannheim; Manuela Carmena, Mayor of Madrid; Bill Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburgh, and Johnny Araya, Mayor of San José will be also participating in the Forum.

The delegation will also include Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener and UCLG Treasurer; Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, Mayor of Libreville and Vice-President of UCLG for Africa; Nasseneba Touré, Mayor of Odienne; Mauricio Rodas, Mayor of Quito and Co-President of UCLG, and Roland Ries, Mayor of Strasbourg and Co-President of UCLG.

Finally, Célestine Ketcha Courtés, Mayor of Bangangté; Dina Oiun, Mayor of Kyzyl; Luis Revilla, Mayor of La Paz; Nelson Marchezan, Mayor of Porto Alegre; Monica Fein, Mayor of Rosario and UCLG Vice-President for Latin America; Tunç Soyer, Mayor of Seferihisar; Masashi Mori, Mayor of Tomaya, and Jan Van Zanen, Mayor of Utrecht will also be part of the delegation.

Highlights of the local and regional governments delegation at the HLPF

•  15 July | A special session on the Right to Housing

UCLG will convene a meeting of the Global Taskforce, Cities Alliance and UNACLA to set the scene for the HLPF and adopt a joint statement. A special session, led by the UCLG Committee on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy and Human Rights, will be the occasion for the City of Barcelona to present the Declaration of local governments for the Right to Housing and the Right to the City. This special session will emphasize the need for a rights-based localization of the SDGs by calling for an effective implementation of the right to housing in cities.

•  16 July | Local and Regional Governments’ Forum 

For the first time ever, the Local and Regional Governments’ Forum will take place in the framework of the HLPF. Local and Regional Governments’ Forum co-organized by the Global Taskforce, UNDESA, UN-Habitat and Local2030 will take place on 16 July, 10-18h. The Forum will provide an opportunity to showcase the role of Local and Regional Governments in the localization of the global agendas and to call for the inclusion of their perspectives in the global assessment process.

It will be organized around six different panels addressing key issues for the localization of the SDGs. Panel 1 will address the implementation of SDG 11 and its key interlinkages with other SDGs, including housing. Panel 2 will explore local involvement in the reporting process and will provide recommendations in this regard. Panel 3 will showcase the importance of integrated territorial planning to build resilient, inclusive and well-connected communities. A fourth panel will highlight the need for re-thinking sub-national financing systems to accelerate the implementation of global agendas. Panel 5 will address the need to set up a monitoring system that works at local level. Finally, Panel 6 the coherent and inter-linked nature of implementation of multiple global agendas on the ground will be discussed.

•  17 July | Local Action for Global Commitments

Another key moment for our constituency at the 2018 HLPF will be the discussions around the Local 2030 Hub: Local Action for Global Commitments on 17 July.

Complementary to the political statements delivered the day before, the Local 2030 event will provide a special space for dialogue between the UN and the constituency of local and regional governments to explore the challenges and opportunities that local leaders face when implementing the SDGs. The Hub will focus on concrete solutions to accelerate local action in areas such as financing, capacity building in humanitarian and conflict settings, data solutions, climate and energy.

Participants will include representatives of national governments, local governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, and UN leadership.

•  18 July | Presentation of the 2^nd Global Report on the Localization of SDGs 

The delegation of Local and Regional Governments will present the second report on the role of local and regional governments in the localization of the SDGs. This report is a contribution from UCLG, as facilitator of the Global Taskforce, in an effort to benefit the broader local and regional government constituency. 

The report builds on three different sources: a UCLG survey to networks of local governments; analysis of 48 Voluntary National Reports (VNRs), and regional experts. The report offers evidence from the ground on the importance for SDGs localization of basic services provided by cities. It also shows why local and regional governments need an enhanced access to adequate capacities and financial resources to deliver on the global goals.

#Listen2Cities: local voices at the UN calling for a permanent seat at the global table

Mayors from around the world will convey a common reality to the international community: cities and territories are already implementing the global agendas at the local level through their public services and policies. In order to guarantee their voices are not missed, cities need a permanent seat at the global table, as part of a more collaborative model of governance.

For this reason, we will continue to raise our voice with the #Listen2Cities campaign, as it has proven to be incredibly successful in raising awareness of the role that local and regional governments need to play at the global table.

Local and Regional Governments remain boldly committed to achieving the SDGs and leave no one behind!