Tuscany, a laboratory for sustainable development between the two shores of the Mediterranean

How to overcome divisions between the north and the south of the Mediterranean? Through the implementation of a system where local actors have a central role and are able to “localise” the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their territories. This was the response that was given on 6 April in Florence (Italy) during a seminar on the cooperation of local actors in the process of localization of the SDGs, dedicated to the Mediterranean and with a focus on Tunisia.

Local actions aimed at ensuring sustainable development that were presented during the debate are the result of a process of reflection that the Tuscan Region launched in 2015, questioning the cooperation actions carried out in recent years in order to better prepare the future.

These actions include: participation in local public policies, policies for young people and policies for the sustainable management of local services.

Specifically, this practically means:

• A regional regulation that promotes citizen participation in the identification and planning phases of local policies to help strengthen the social pact between communities and public authorities around environmental, social and economic actions to create a more inclusive society
• The “Giovani SI” project: measures at the local level to support the creation of jobs
• Responsible and concerted governance models for effective and sustainable local public services management

These experiences, which are closely linked to the implementation of the SDGs at the local level, will be shared with other local authorities through the toolkit on “localizing SDGs”, created by UNDP and presented at this seminar.

The idea of creating in Florence a “laboratory” of innovative local practices and best experiences to promote sustainable development was also formulated at this seminar, chaired by Monica Barni, Vice-President of the Tuscany Region.