Local governments join the global celebration of the Post-2015 Agenda this September

The United Nations summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda will be held in New York from 25 to 27 September 2015.

UCLG is currently preparing the in-person and online activities of our members at and around the Summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda. The Summit will see UN Member States officially commit to achievement of the sustainable development goals that will replace the millennium development goals from January of 2015.

The end of a process, the start of a better world

Local and regional governments have actively participated in the consultations on the Post-2015 Agenda since 2012 and celebrate the important achievement of a single, universal agenda to be implemented with differentiated responsibilities. We commend the inclusion of a specific SDG on sustainable cities and human settlements and call for mechanisms that will ensure the localization of the agenda, both in terms of indicators and the resources and competences of local and regional governments. Local and regional governments, working together with their communities, will be essential to ensure the type of service provision and enabling environment that will contribute to the achievement of most of the goals.

The new agenda: everybody’s business

UCLG and the other members of the Global Taskforce have repeatedly commended the efforts made, since 2012, to include the vision and inputs of non-state actors in the negotiations on the Post 2015 agenda. We are convinced that those contributions have been vital to shaping the far reaching agenda about to be ratified in New York. In this light, UCLG is disappointed that the meaningful participation of the Major Groups that gathered non-state actors in the negotiation process is now not reflected at the Summit; the visibility and access of civil society and local governments is being rather restricted.

Local governments might not have full access but will still be there!

Nevertheless, UCLG and our members are committed to contributing to the achievement of the goals, and we will actively participate and organize events in New York, under the umbrella of the Global Taskforce, from 24-27 September to discuss the role of local and regional governments going forward. These will include events on climate change, the localization of the agenda, and the role of cities in sustainable development. Keep an eye on the Summit page of the GTF website for updates on the programme.

UCLG has also launched a dedicated web page where we will be looking look back on our contributions to the Post-2015 process and raising our voice to reaffirm the vital role that local and regional governments across the world will play in the achievement of the SDGs. Our new infographic summarizes the role of UCLG and the Global Taskforce in international debates on the Post-2015 Agenda since 2012, particularly our successful campaign for an Urban SDG and our ongoing call for the localization of the SDGs to take into account subnational contexts and challenges.

UCLG members and committees will be active on social media, both in the build up to, and during, the Summit. You can find us and join the conversation on the role of local governments in the SDGs by using the hashtag #Localizing2015 on Twitter, or by visiting the social media section of our Summit web page.

Visit the following links: