In the run-up to the UN Summit to approve the Post-2015 Development Agenda, Global Taskforce member the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) has undertaken a number of activities that have strengthened global advocacy on behalf of local and regional governments.

16-19 June saw the 2015 Commonwealth Local Government Conference in Gaborone, Botswana. As well as reaffirming the importance of good governance, local economic development and sustainable cities, the Conference declaration put a strong emphasis on the necessity of localizing the follow-up and review of the Post-2015 Agenda, particularly in terms of locally disaggregated data and indicators.

“It is important to recognize the interconnectedness of economic development at the global, regional, national and local levels and to ensure that local government’s role is mainstreamed into all levels of planning and operations," 

said CLGF Chair, Mayor Lawrence Yule.

Delegates called on CLGF to develop a 15 year strategy for local government focusing on supporting its members in developing and implementing modalities to localize the SDGs.

The messages of the Gaborone statement were echoed in the Global Taskforce contributions to the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD3) in Addis Ababa, particularly that “innovative public and private solutions to financing infrastructure and service delivery, which leverage on the economic opportunities in cities, will be central to ensuring sustainable growth and development to 2030 and beyond”.

Read the The Gaborone Declaration – Local government vision 2030

For more information: CLGF Website