Local and regional engagement, action and multi-level cooperation are vital to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals – or SDGs -and contribute to topics under the Summit of the Future.

Strategic topics and recovery measures

In New York at the beginning of October, the UN Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, launched his Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments, through its first hybrid meeting among its 20 members. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on strategic topics relating to local and regional governments’ engagement. Also for discussion, actions relating to recovery measures from multiple and overlapping crises and advancing international agreements and standards, including on sustainable development, gender equality, social inclusion, climate action, the new urban agenda, and human rights.

Local perspectives needed

“As we consider ways to make multilateral institutions more effective, and to meet the current and future challenges facing people and planet, we need the perspectives and engagement of local and regional authorities”, stated the Secretary General during the opening of the meeting.

The Advisory Group will work over a one-year period and meet with the Secretary-General on three occasions to inform on local and regional governments’ dimensions for consideration as part of the preparatory processes for the Summit of the Future.

Enhancing institutional mechanisms

The Group’s work will also address modalities and means to enhance institutional mechanisms to strengthen engagement of local and regional governments in intergovernmental processes; opportunities to strengthen cooperation between national and local and regional governments, and the UN Country Teams.  It will contribute to recommendations on a United Nations global strategy for the engagement of local and regional governments – including institutional mechanisms, intergovernmental processes, and partnership arrangements, to strengthen contributions to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.

Coordination between cities, regions and nations

The new Advisory Group will therefore serve as a mechanism to engage contributions from sub-national stakeholders and enhance coordination and collaboration between cities, regions, nations, and international processes. It will support course corrections and identify resources for the delivery of the SDGs with impact, scale, and speed. The Group is expected to produce a set of recommendations with strategic guidance in the run up to the Summit of the Future in September 2024.

The Advisory Group encompasses 15 representatives of local and regional governments, nominated by the Global Taskforce, and thought leaders from five countries: Colombia, India, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Spain, with either responsibilities or recognised expertise in multi-level governance. Representatives of the United Nations system involved in supporting the work of the group, include the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) who will provide Secretariat support to the Group.

This is a clear recognition that local action is key to ensuring the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Almost 65 per cent of SDG targets cannot be met without involving local and regional governments.

The Advisory Group will also consult with platforms that advance local governments engagement, including those led by local or regional governments, Member States, or UN entities, such as the World Assembly on Local and Regional Governments, Advisory Committee for Sustainable Urbanisation, United Nations Advisory Committee on Local Authorities (UNACLA), the Local 2030 Coalition of the Decade of Action, and the Local and Regional Governments Forum.

CLGF Board Member on board

The Advisory Group includes CLGF Board member and Mayor of Belize City, Belize, Mr Bernard Wagner; Mr. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu County, Kenya; Mr. Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, United Kingdom and Ms. Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal, Canada.