Newsletter August 2014
Top Story
The 2014 UCLG World Council will be held in Haikou at the kind invitation of Mayor Ni Qiang, in conjunction with the Guangzhou Award. The Statutory Meetings to be held include the celebration of the Executive Bureau and World Council, 24-26 November in Haikou. The programme also contains Learning Events related to the Second Edition of the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation, 27-28 November in Guangzhou.
Main Stories
As, is well known, local authorities are on the frontline when disasters or armed conflicts hit local people, and it is the responsibility of these authorities to meet the basic needs of people, ranging from provision of water and food to waste collection.
The UCLG Executive Bureau took place on 19th June in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in conjunction with the BT World Local Leaders Summit. Over 250 participants from 48 countries participated in the meeting, which included policy dialogues on Public Space, Localization of the Post-2015 Agenda, Governance and Growth and Equality.
The Sixth Steering Committee of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) met on 9th July in New York. It was the first time that UCLG and ORU FOGAR participated in the Steering Committee as full members since Busan.
Persistent vulnerability threatens human development, and unless it is systematically tackled by specific policies and social norms, progress will be neither equitable nor sustainable. This is the central theme of the 2014 Human Development Report.
The UN reported that an additional 2.5 billion people are predicted to live in urban areas by 2050, highlighting the need for a successful urban planning agenda and greater attention to be given to smaller cities where nearly half of all people reside.
UCLG Sections & members
After a week of negotiations, the Open Working Group concluded its thirteenth session on Saturday 19th July and adopted a final proposal for the Sustainable Development Goals of the Post-2015 Agenda, which will be presented for consideration at the next United Nations General Assembly in September 2014.
With the submission of 16 proposals from Agra, Barcelona, Berlin, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Île-de-France (Paris),Johannesburg, Mexico City, Rosario, São Paulo State, Santiago de Chile and the Kreanta Foundation.
EU cities are invited to participate in the fifth edition of the Access City Award - The European Prize for making cities more accessible to people with disabilities and older people. The European Commission continues to encourage cities to present their activities and strategies designed to make cities barrier-free, better places to live for everyone.
The Global Fund for Cities Development (FMDV) launches two new regional publications on Urban Financing within the framework of the global program REsolutions to Fund Cities. REsolutions Europe: Local innovations to finance cities and regions and REsolutions America Latina: Panorama and tools for financing urban development.
This pioneering initiative recognizes the most ambitious Smart City strategies, the most advanced projects and the most innovative initiatives around the world fostering the development of the Smart City concept. The aim of the award is to nurture the development of future cities thus enhancing quality of life, sustainability, innovation, creativity, competitiveness, and efficient management and administration.
Local and regional elected representatives and heads of national associations of municipalities and regions from all over Europe gathered in Łódź (Poland), on 23-24 June 2014, at the occasion of the meeting of the Policy Committee - CEMR's main governing body.
The Barcelona Declaration, signed by representatives from cities and international organisations gathered in the Catalan capital, underlines the importance of local authorities in terms of integration for migrants, and calls for further recognition of this role. The Forum on Migration, Mobility and Development, which was held in Barcelona, ended with all the attendees accepting the ‘Barcelona Declaration’.
COMMITTEES, WORKING GROUPS, COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE & FORA
As violence escalates in the Gaza strip and in Israel, United Cites and Local governments Middle-East woorking group shares its deep concerns over the growing number of deaths and injuries of civilians, including children and women, in the conflict.
“For those of you who were present in Berlin, at the DCF Germany Symposium, let me recall a particular moment when a mayor was so moved by what was being discussed on the panel, that while making her comments from the floor, she walked up to the podium and handed flyers to the panelists.
The Declaration on the inclusion of culture in the Sustainable Development Goals post-2015 has received endorsement from 120 countries, with 1,700 signatories, including more than 600 organizations. The Zero draft of SDGs will be presented to the United Nations on 14-18 July 2014 and then be submitted for debate at the General Assembly this autumn.
Under the coordination of LSE Cities, and with the collaboration of UN Habitat, the UCLG Decentralisation and Local Governance Committee is launching a survey on Urban Governance. Initial results of this survey will inform the 2014 Urban Age Conference in Delhi, India which will bring together a wide range of policy makers.
The President of the UN Economic and Social Council, H.E. Mr. Martin Sajdik, opened the UN Development Cooperation Forum in New York by calling for challenging interventions. He referred to the intervention made by UCLG Champion Célestine Ketcha Epse Courtès.
The "Credits System" is an instrument that was created to implement the Participatory Consolidation Project, which was carried out, promoted and funded by the Pedra Badejo and Liebnitz Friendship Association in the Municipality of Santa Cruz, Cape Verde.
Blog
In 2009, the current administration of Canoas began an innovative project within the city management department, based on transparency, citizen participation, social inclusion and the qualification of public services. The Popular and Citizen Participation System is a set of 13 projects that contribute to more decentralized, systemic and democratic management.
Basic Services for All in an Urbanizing World is the third instalment in United Cities and Local Government’s (UCLG) flagship series of global reports on local democracy and decentralisation (GOLD III). In the context of rapid urbanisation, climate change and economic uncertainty the report is an impressive attempt.
Events
August 10, 2014
August 29, 2014
September 01, 2014
September 01, 2014
September 15, 2014
September 17, 2014
September 17, 2014