Vertical cooperation - local authorities and national governments working together for implementation of the 2030 Agenda
Wednesday, 13 July 2016
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Conference Room 4
Official meeting
Statements
Statements
In order to reach the further behind first, national governments and local authorities must work together, in close partnership, reflecting vertical synergies and achieving development results at the local level, close to the vulnerable groups. This collaboration is vital for the 2030 Agenda to become a reality. Experience with MDGs suggests that success in implementation will depend on effective local action. This will require the active role of local governments/authorities and communities at the grassroots level.
Local authorities have a unique role to play in political inclusion at the grassroots level. Community-based participation facilitated by local governments is a powerful tool for the achievement of sustainable development. They are best placed to link the global goals with local communities as stakeholders engagement is at the heart of an inclusive 2030 Agenda.
All SDGs have targets that are directly or indirectly related to the daily work of local governments, authorities, and other actors. It is, therefore, essential to include local authorities in policy-making processes and ensure that they have the needed capacity to meaningfully participate in the policy-making for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. Additionally, reliable local data will be an essential tool to monitor progress and to target resources to those most in need.
In this context, local authorities are central in ensuring the link between the global vision and local policies and actions of citizens, as well as in bringing local relevant initiatives into global policy debates, offering lessons learned and best practices. The challenge will be how to build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, how to enhance vertical cooperation mechanisms, and how to ensure that local authorities are strengthened to deliver on the SDGs.
Possible questions for discussion:
- What is the level of engagement of local authorities in your national sustainable development strategy?
- What are the challenges local governments are facing and what immediate remedies are needed to ensure effective participation? How does the national government help local governments to meet these challenges?
- What is your experience in stakeholder engagement at both national and locals to help foster vertical cooperation and to ensure that the implementation is inclusive?
Chair:
- H.E. Mr. Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava, Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the UN and Vice President of ECOSOC
Keynote speaker:
- Mr. Kadir Topbaş, Mayor of Istanbul and President of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
Moderator:
- Mr. Peter Wollaert, Associated Fellow of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and Managing Director of CIFAL Flanders
Panellists:
- Ms. Patrícia Iglecias, State Secretary for Environment for the State of Sao Paulo
- Mr. Hyuk-Sang Sohn, Professor at Kyung Hee University and President, Korean Association of International Development & Cooperation (KAIDEC)
Lead discussants:
- Mr. Stephan Contius, Head of Division at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany
- H.E. Ms. Rosemarie G. Edillon, Deputy Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Philippines
- Ms. Paddy Torsney, Permanent Observer of the Office of the Inter-Parliamentary Union to the UN
Mr. Hyuk-Sang Sohn
Professor at Kyung Hee University and President, Korean Association of International Development & Cooperation (KAIDEC)
Dr. Sohn, Hyuk-Sang is Dean of Graduate School of Public Governance and Civic Engagement of Kyung Hee University and the President of Korean Association of International Development & Cooperation (KAIDEC). He has also served as editor for Korean Political Science Review and Vice President of Korean Political Science Association. Outside his academic engagements, he has a position of non-standing board director of KOICA and ODA policy advisor to Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2012, he has been a civilian member of Prime Minister Office’s working committee for international development cooperation.
In addition, he has actively participated in the civil society advocacy activities as a member of Global Facilitating Group (GFG) of Open Forum for CSOs Development and member of the Operation Committee of Korean Civil Society Forum of International Development Forum(KoFID), and co-organizer of Busan Civil Society Forum held during the HLF4. His main research interests are international development in general and ODA policies, development partnership, and development NGOs in particular. His major publications include 2016 “The Evolution of Fragmented Systems of Welfare Provision: The National Health Care Systems of Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan(2016),”“Motivation for Aid Allocation and the Political Ideology: A Case Study of South Korea(2015)," “Linking State Intervention and Health Equity Differently: The Universalization of Health Care in South Korea and Taiwan(2015)," and “Evaluation Framework of Development Partnership.
Mr. Kadir Topbaş
Mayor of Istanbul and President of UCLG, Turkey
Mr. Kadir Topbaş, the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the President of United Cities and Local Governments, earned his PhD degree from Istanbul University in the Department of Art History and Archeology. He worked as an architect for many years and became the Mayor of Beyoglu in 1999. Topbas became a candidate for the Mayorship of Istanbul in 2004 Local Elections, and won with vast majority. He is also a member of the supervisory board and trustee committee of TAC Foundation (Foundation of History and Environment).
Mr. Peter Wollaert
United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and CIFAL Flanders
Peter Wollaert is a social entrepreneur, opinion maker and trainer. He has been involved in development cooperation, sustainable development, business ethics, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social business for almost 25 years.
He created .EXTENZ, a consultancy firm on multi-stakeholder strategy.
He lectured in CSR at VLERICK BUSINESS SCHOOL and in 2013 he was appointed manager of the VLERICK FORUM FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
Since March 2013 Peter Wollaert is managing director of CIFAL FLANDERS, an international training & research centre for smart sustainability and localising Agenda 2030, affiliated with UNITAR. In October 2013 he was appointed UNITAR Fellow.
Ms. Paddy Torsney
Permanent Observer of the Office of the Inter-Parliamentary Union to the UN
Hon. Paddy Torsney is the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York since 2014. Founded in 1889, and headquartered in Geneva, the IPU has 170 member parliaments, representing most of the world’s 46,000 MPs. A former Canadian MP and Parliamentary Secretary for International Cooperation, and for the Environment, Paddy had a long political career, as an advisor, campaigner, lobbyist and as an elected official. She cares passionately about women’s issues and helping citizens and elected officials engage in a constructive dialogue.
Ms. Patricia Faga Iglecias Lemos
State Secretary for Environment for the State of Sao Paulo
Dr. Patrícia Iglecias is a lawyer and associate professor at the Civil Law Department of the University of São Paulo Law School, specialized in the environmental area. She took up the position of São Paulo State Secretary for the Environment in January 2015, heading an environmental system of over 3600 staff members and including five coordinations, three institutes, two foundations, one council and one state agency.
Dr. Iglecias has worked in environmental negotiations on the national level, given lectures in Brazil and abroad, and published several books and articles, notably on solid waste and post-consumption civil responsibility. Her main areas of research and work include sustainable consumption and production; reverse logistics; solid waste and shared responsibility; civil liability for environmental damage; and environmental compensation.
