Local and Regional Government organizations, in their capacity as governmental stakeholders and gathered as part of the Global Taskforce for Post-2015 Development Agenda and towards Habitat III, met on Monday 13 April on the occasion of apolitical dialogue organized at the United Nations Venue in Nairobi.
This special event for local and regional authorities, organized as part of the official programme of the Second Preparatory Committee for Habitat III Conference, aimed to look into a Global Agenda of Local and Regional Governments, as well as to begin the preparations for the second World Assembly of Local Authorities, due to take place during Habitat III in Quito in 2016.
In Habitat II, local governments were recognized as one of the main partners of UN‑Habitat in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. Habitat II was also an important step forward in the recognition of the relevance of the networks of local authorities. As a result of the first World Assembly of Cities and Local Authorities, organized in the framework of Habitat II in 1996, local authorities engaged to build a “single voice for local governments and their associations”. The Global Taskforce was born in 2012 of the same will to gather all major networks of local and regional governments and ensure joint advocacy towards the Post-2015 Development Agenda and Habitat III.
Over the last 20 years, the partnership between local authorities and UN-Habitat has been expanded and reinforced. Habitat III should be the opportunity to assess this partnership and make a qualitative leap forward in the relations between the UN and local governments, recognizing them with a special status, and afford them a more direct role and increased responsibilities within the governing bodies of UN‑Habitat.
The Global Taskforce is convinced that Habitat III will be a key mechanism through which to implement the Post-2015 Agenda at local level and address specific issues related to human settlements that will be the basis for a sustainable future.
The delegation of local governments of the Global Taskforce are keen to undertake further dialogue with Member States to explain the relevance of their involvement in the Habitat III process and to share the process of the second World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments towards Quito.
Despite our desire to see agreements on the improved participation of stakeholders and local governments, and their accreditation, as soon as possible, we are still hopeful for an inclusive process.
As stated in the Plenary Session of PrepCom2, the urban agenda goes beyond big cities and also involves rural links.
The agenda that organized local governments want to bring to Habitat III is not related to domestic affairs, but rather local solutions as contributions to global challenges. The new urban agenda cannot be defined without the local managers and elected representatives accountable to the inhabitants.
Read the Opening Statement by Dr. Joan Clos
