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INTRODUCTION The aim of this report is to collect and report evidence of the actual, effective bottom-up involvement of local authorities and stakeholders in the ‘localization’ of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While the vision and commitments of the 2030 Agenda were adopted and accepted by the national governments and the international community, the ‘localization’ of this and the other global agendas should allow all levels of governance, from the national through the local, to work together and collaborate in order to translate these commitments into concrete local policies, initiatives and actions. ‘Localization’ will give the opportunity to territories, cities and communities to play their part in the fight against poverty and the achievement of sustainable development for all. What local and regional governments do in their daily practice and interactions with their citizens and communities, moreover, has enormous repercussions on the change and improvements needed to actually implement the goals and achieve their objectives. It is essential, therefore, to provide local and regional governments with an ‘enabling environment’ to put their inhabitants’ priorities and needs at the centre of national policies and strategies to promote sustainable development. If the SDGs can provide an effective framework for the enhancement of sub-national development, local and regional governments around the world can support the implementation of the SDGs via consistent, effective and truly co-owned bottom-up actions and commitments. This report will complement the information submitted by Member States and UN agencies every year by compiling and analysing information provided directly by local and regional governments (LRGs) and their associations that are contributing to the achievement of the global agendas and, in particular, the SDGs. The report compares firsthand information and data produced by sub-national governments and their partners around the world with the information sent by national governments, UN agencies and other stakeholders.
“The SDGs will only be implemented effectively if they are embedded into national and local processes and actions. National and local ownership and commitment will thus determine their success. Therefore, the success with implementing SDGs will be entrenching them in national and sub-national strategies, plans and policies and ensuring bottom up processes for implementation.” South African Local Government Association (SALGA) reply to UCLG questionnaire
This report – a first attempt at this kind of yearly analysis – pays particular attention to the growing involvement of local and regional governments in the dissemination and adaptation of the SDGs at various sub-national levels. At the same time, it collects concrete experiences and practices of LRGs in the implementation of the SDGs through endogenous, inclusive dynamics that are thematically related to the goals assessed in the 2017 cycle. By doing so, the report develops a repository of local knowledge and best practices that may mobilize even more communities and sub-national governments, strengthening the co-ownership of the SDGs while also increasing significantly the opportunities for mutual learning.
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