Innovative peace initiatives compiled in a publication

A first copy of “The UCLG Peace Prize 2016. Local Government Initiatives for Peace” publicationwas handed to Mr. Mpho Parks Tau, UCLG’s new President, at the new year’s reception of VNG International.
This publication on good approaches in peacebuilding was published following the award ceremony of the first UCLG Peace Prize, last October at the UCLG Congress in Bogotá (Colombia).
In his speech, Mr. Tau emphasized the importance of local governance in implementing the 2030 Agenda and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and particularly peace and justice. “It is at the local level where government is well positioned to deal with conflicts and contribute to building peace”, he said.
Subsequently, Mayor of Den Bosch (Netherlands) Ton Rombouts, Chair of the international committee of VNG and Vice-Chair of the UCLG Committee on Development Cooperation and City Diplomacy, underlined the role for local governments as operators of peace. He expressed his joy of having awarded the 2016 prize to the municipality of Kauswagan (Philippines) for its comprehensive disarmament and reintegration programme named ‘From Arms to Farms’.
These and other cases that have been listed as finalists for the Peace Prize are further described in the publication.