To effectively localise and implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) local governments need to focus on three critical areas including leadership, partnership and innovation, said CLGF Secretary-General Dr Greg Munro while addressing the national members assembly of the Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) in Gaborone on 30 August.
 

Dr Munro emphasised the importance of national and local governments revisiting their fiscal arrangements and financial flows to better support local implementation of the SDGs. He further highlighted the need to find innovative ways of financing and creating long lasting capacity at local and community level.
 

While highlighting the growing need to encourage entrepreneurship and job creation at the local level, Dr Munro said, “The SDGs are so broad and so many, we run the risk of not achieving them in the end. Local government needs to focus on three critical areas including leadership, partnership and innovation to successfully localise and achieve the SDGs. We need political leadership at national, local and community level to support local implementation of the SDGs.”
 

The 2016 National Members Assembly of the Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) held in collaboration with the Botswana Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development celebrated Botswana’s 50 years of democratic developmental local government and focused on various issues around localisation of Agenda 2030 and the SDGs. The assembly brought together local authorities, ministries, civil society and the private sector from the region to discuss developments and showcase achievements.
 

Addressing the Botswana Association of Local Authorities  (BALA) national assembly on 30 August, Botswana’s Acting President, Mokgweetsi Masisi said it was through the collective effort of local and civic leaders that Botswana was admired globally as a model of democracy, good governance and development.

CLGF Chairperson and BALA President Rev Mpho Moruakgomo said the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in partnership with BALA had commenced the formulation of a robust decentralisation process for Botswana. He said through the process, it was hoped that it would give local authorities latitude and space that they needed to take political responsibility and leadership for development in their districts.
 

As part of the DFID-funded Southern Africa Regional Programme, CLGF has worked closely with the Botswana Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and BALA to help develop a local economic development (LED) framework, which resulted in the nationwide rollout of LED strategy. CLGF has also been helping develop a national decentralisation policy for the country, which will be used as an enabling framework for local government to play an increasingly developmental role in national development. 

Outcome statement of the BALA National Members Assembly 2016

You can get in touch with CLGF's new Secretary-General Dr Greg Munro 

on greg.munro@clgf.org.uk or contact CLGF HQ on +44 20 7389 1490.
Follow CLGF SG on Twitter @CLGFSG_GMunro