Local government leaders to discuss challenges and opportunities in delivering sustainable development to meet the new SDGs.

The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) today announced that the 2015 Commonwealth Local Government Conference will be held in Gaborone, Botswana on 16-19 June 2015 in partnership with the Botswana Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA). The conference is held every two years and 2015 will be the first time it has been held in Botswana.

Members of the CLGF Executive Committee, meeting today in London, agreed that Botswana will host the next conference and will officially launch the conference whose theme will be Local government 2030: achieving the vision at a reception at Marlborough house on the evening of 13 November.

The Commonwealth Local Government Conference is the most important international event in the local government calendar. The conference is expected to attract some 600 high-level politicians, policy-makers and practitioners including ministers responsible for local government, mayors and city and council leaders and other senior decision-makers and practitioners in local government from Africa, Europe, the Pacific and the Caribbean to meet and learn about new ideas, approaches, and practice that can support their councils to deliver better services. It is also attended by partners from the private sector, development agencies and civil society. Its outcomes will be reported to the Commonwealth Heads of Government when they meet in Malta later in 2015.

CLGF Chairperson Mayor Lawrence Yule, said,
“This conference is CLGF’s flagship event that brings together some 600 delegates who are key decision-makers in local government at both national and local level, members, from across the Commonwealth.  This is a key opportunity to engage with senior local government practitioners from the 54 Commonwealth countries and beyond.

“The conference is at a critical time for local government, just before the announcement of the final UN Sustainable Development Goals and we will be looking at the challenges for local government in helping to deliver the targets and vision that they convey to meet the SDG 2030 target.

“We are very please that the Government of Botswana has agreed to host the conference and look forward to hearing about some of the good practice on decentralisation and good local governance in the country."

The conference will also mark CLGF’s 20th anniversary.

Botswana’s Minister for Local Government Hon Slumber Tsogwane said:
“Botswana is working closely with CLGF and other agencies in Southern Africa to develop its decentralisation policies and programmes.  We are delighted to be hosting this conference for the first time in Botswana where those working in and with local government will benefit greatly from the discussions at the conference and meeting their peers from other Commonwealth countries to share experience and good practice.

“We hope that they will also experience some of the magnificent scenery and flora and fauna that Botswana has to offer; Botswana has some of the best wilderness and wildlife areas in Africa. They will certainly receive a warm welcome from local government colleagues and the people of Botswana.

“We hope that people will take home both practical ideas to improve local government policy-making and service delivery and an impression of Botswana as a warm, welcoming and a wonderland.”
 

Previous conferences have included former New Zealand Prime Minister and UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Prof Jeffrey Sachs and captains of industry such as Microsoft and Tata.