3.1. LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD Local and regional governments (LRGs) are a fundamental feature of the modern organization of states and society. Over the last few decades, most countries in all regions of the world have undertaken a whole array of policy reforms giving sub-national governments a diverse spectrum of powers, competences and autonomy. LRGs, as the level of government closest to the population, are often the first point of contact for citizens and communities with the state and are therefore best able to understand the needs and demands of their inhabitants. Local and regional governments everywhere are in charge of key policy areas that affect the daily lives of citizens: health, education, access to basic services such as water and sanitation, transport and waste management, urban and territorial planning, access to infrastructures, environmental and territorial resilience, local economic development, cultural development, and social inclusion. All these responsibilities, and many others, are among the core tasks of many local governments around the world (see Table 2).
“Local authorities play a significant role in implementing the 2030 Agenda within their territory, through a set of initiatives that, in respect of their local autonomy, undoubtedly contributes to the implementation process at the national level, as a result of proximity and concrete action.” Republic of Portugal’s Main Message to the 2017 HLPF
Decentralized local authorities are, at the same time, policy-makers, implementers and investors. They can also contribute as connecting hubs, facilitators and catalysts of sustainable development, linking global, national and local levels together and involving citizens and communities as drivers of bottom-up change in their territories. Comprehensive participation across the whole community may determine whether the localization of the SDGs is successful or not. By enabling local democracy and direct participation in local decision-making, LRGs can become the critical levers that ensure a full understanding and a larger co-ownership of the SDGs and their implementation. In the context of promoting prosperity for all, principles of economic, social, environmental and cultural sustainability are inextricably linked to territorial cohesion – a concept now widely recognized as the new paradigm of territorial development. Social, cultural, environmental and economic inequalities must be tackled through strategies and normative actions that build on equality and opportunity, both within and between territories.
Empowered local governments, able to fulfil their responsibilities, are essential for the achievement of the global goals and agendas. This commitment and ambition are shared by sub-national authorities all over the world. Nonetheless, today the picture of local and regional governments in the 65 countries that have either submitted or committed to submit a Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the implementation of the SDGs to the HLPF in 2016 (22 countries reporting) and 2017 (44 countries, but Togo presented two consecutive reviews in both years) is still extremely diverse.
14