Time to Walk the Talk: Forefronting Local and Regional Government Actions to Achieve SDG11

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This DPU Dialogues in Development presents the main findings of four strategic papers developed by UCL The Bartlett DPU with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and partners from civil society organizations and academia worldwide.  There papers were a contribution to the 7th Local and Regional Governments’ Report to the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) at the SDG Summit, a gathering Head of States and governments, which took place in September 2023.  It focussed specifically on SDG11 as part of the SDGs’ four-year revision cycle under the auspices of the UN General Assembly).  Since 2017 United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) representing LRGs and on behalf of the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments (GTF), have presented an annual report to the HLPF, entitled  Towards the localization of the SDGs, analyzing the state of SDG implementation at the subnational level around the world. 

As the next High Level Political Forum approaches in July 2024, the speakers will reflect on the key role and practices of LRGs as front liners in facing the global challenges of urbanization and the territorial manifestations of complex crises, with the overall aim of making our cities and territories more sustainable and resilient. In doing so, they will highlight the importance of retaining SDG Indicator 11.3.2 that measures civil society participation in urban planning and management which is currently at risk of being removed from the SDG Global Database.  Particularly important in accelerating progress towards all the articles of SDG11, this Indicator is at risk due to lack of data with less than 30% of countries monitoring the target. 

Chair

Professor Michael Walls, Director, Development Planning Unit (Bartlett DPU)

Presentations

Pablo Fernández Marmissolle-Daguerre, (Assistant Secretary-General for Partnerships, United Cities and Local Governments World Secretariat Barcelona), “Seven years of progress reporting towards the localization of the SDGs”.

Dr Camila Cociña and Dr Alexandre Apsan Frediani (IIED), “Recognising, protecting and fulfilling the right to housing and basic services” (see Paper 1: Housing and basic services from below) 

Dr Daniel Oviedo (Bartlett DPU) “Fostering urban planning to reduce fragmentation and segregation” (see Paper 2: Integrated and participatory urban planning) 

Professor Adriana Allen (Bartlett DPU) and Dr Julia Wesely (University of Vienna) “Crafting environmental justice through commoning and de-coupling approaches” (see Paper 3: Forefronting transformative action) 

Professor Caren Levy (Bartlett DPU), “Advancing effective multilevel governance” (see Paper 5: Multilevel governance and finance)

Discussant

Lorena Zárate (Coordinator of the Global Platform for the Right to the City)

Listen to a recording of the event on Mixcloud