27/09/21

Workshop on the contribution of regional authorities to national reviews on the implementing the Agenda 2030

How can regions deliver on voluntary reviews?

Organised by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities with the participation of UCLG on 29 October 2021 during the

High-level Conference of the Assembly of European Regions: Agenda 2030: Transforming Regions, Changing the World

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, in partnership with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), will hold a workshop focused on the best ways to facilitate the inclusion of regional and local input into national strategies and action plans, and therefore into national reviews. Particular focus will be given to the implementation of the SDGs.

Regional and local input into national reviews in the context of the overall need for greater regionalisation of the SDGs implementation has never been more essential. Global, national, regional and local governments must communicate and work cohesively to assure the achieving of the goals set out in the Agenda 2030.

In this respect, this workshop is aimed at discussing:

• the best ways to facilitate the inclusion of regional and local input into national strategies and action plans, and therefore into national reviews
• the importance of a better networking between regions, local governments and national institutions experience-sharing, coordination and synergy-building
• the need for proper competences and resources at regional level to implement regional SDG action plans
• sharing of experiences on regional authorities which undertake voluntary regional reviews. 

The workshop will take place from 9.15am to 10.15am on 29 October 2021

It will be hybrid (Event Registration (on-site participation) (google.com))

It will be held in English – no interpretation will be provided

Venue :

Siège Region Grand Est - 1, Place Adrien Zeller - 67000 Strasbourg

Programme

Opening at 9.15 by moderator: Andreas Kiefer, Secretary General of the Congress

Presentation by panellists (5mn each):

-       Harald SONDEREGGER, Chairman of the Chamber of Regions of the Congress, Austria (tbc)

-       Edgardo BILSKY, Head of Research, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Secretariat

-       Gunn-Marit HELGESEN, Vice-President of the Congress, Norway

-       Representative of the Basque Region or the Region of Andalusia (Spain) (tbc)

-       Belinda GOTTARDI, Congress member and Mayor of Castel Maggiore (Italy, SOC/G/PD) (tbc)

Discussion with the audience until 10.15

“The UN says that achieving two thirds of SDG targets depend on local and regional authorities. Time for us to act on it. Regions must be fully-fledged partners of their governments to ensure the successful localisation of SDGs “

Leendert Verbeek, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

Achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is a shared responsibility of all levels of government: global, European, national, local and regional. The United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development lists 17 objectives to be achieved to build a socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable and economically prosperous society. The final objective of SDGs is improving the well-being of the citizens and of the communities where they live.

As closest level to the citizens, local and regional authorities are best placed to raise awareness on the importance and relevance of the SDGs. Local and regional authorities bear the primary responsibility for addressing citizens’ needs, as the authorities closest to them. Citizens must therefore always remain at the heart of the action for achieving SDGs and they must be engaged in local decision making on the issues of community development. They must be co-owners of the decisions on integrated territorial planning and the use of resources of their communities.

This proximity with the citizens is also an asset for the promotion of social cohesion and territorial justice, which are necessary elements for the ultimate achievement of SDGs.

Also, while SDGs tend to be understood at global or state level, it is impossible to implement a policy nationally if its implementation fails locally. National governments must therefore establish a constant dialogue with regional and local authorities on implementing SDGs, through proper consultation mechanisms. Local and regional authorities must have proper autonomy of action and decision making– which includes proper competences, financial and budget autonomy, and freedom to make decisions on the use of local resources and planning local development. Only so can local and regional authorities adapt and anchor their strategies in the local context and dynamics.

Therefore, local and regional authorities are a great vehicle for the implementation of SDGs in an inclusive and integrated approach.

The Council of Europe is a pan-European organisation making it of unique added-value for the implementation of the SDGs. Its various bodies as well as its instruments make up for a precious support to all actors in their efforts to translate the global agenda into action at both national and local levels. In that sense, the Council has identified several of these SDGs as a main priority and included them in its work programme.

Thanks to its expertise and proximity to the citizens, the Congress carries the territorial dimension of the SDGs within the Council of Europe and is committed to help local and regional authorities achieve these goals.