Localizing the SDGs at city level: examples from Asia
BOX 5
Seoul, “The World-Leading Sustainable City” (Republic of Korea) The Seoul City Sustainable Development Vision consists of 12 strategies, 28 tasks, and 30 indicators, organized in three large core objectives: Environment (resilience and a liveable environment); Society and Culture (social equality and cultural vitality); and Economy: (creative economy and job creation). This process was initiated in 2014, with the launch of the Sustainable Development Commission, the development of the ‘Seoul Metropolitan City’s Basic Plan for Sustainable Development’, and the adoption of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s ‘Ordinance on Sustainable Development and Seoul SDGs’. The key initiatives undertaken so far include: economic democratization, youth employment policies (e.g., the creation of the Seoul innovation park), the Sharing City Seoul initiative, reform of welfare administration, the creation of the Seoul Village Community, energy saving and recycling (with the ‘one less nuclear power plant’ initiative), the bike-sharing service Seoul Bike Trareung-I for enhanced transit safety and environmental protection, women safety policies, and the diffusion of open public data, as well as a new public participatory budget system. Source: Seoul Metropolitan Government, Collection of Sustainable Development Cases, Potential Power that Opens a Bright Future, December 2016.
The Riau Province (Indonesia) Riau, on the Sumatera Island, was the first province of Indonesia to work proactively on SDG localization. The local government, in partnership with UNDP and the Tanoto Foundation, established in December 2016 a provincial Steering Committee (including public officials, CSOs, philanthropies, private sector and academia) and an SDG Secretariat within the Provincial Development Planning Agency (BAPPEDA). The process had started in May 2016. Nationally, moreover, each of the 34 Indonesian Provinces will need to develop a Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) and adjust it to the relevant SDGs while also defining effective indicators. The provinces have also inaugurated a series of workshops, involving local philanthropies, private sector and associations, academia, CSOs and the media. The plans of the Riau province emphasize, in particular, the need for action on poverty (Goal 1), education (Goal 4) and the environment (Goals 13, 14 and 15). The Riau Province is also working on a Provincial Action Plan (Rencana Aksi Daerah). After the successful implementation on three pilot districts, the process of implementation will be further expanded to other districts in Riau, starting in December 2017. Source: Antarariau, Riau Dinilai Sebagai Daerah Percontohan Program SDGs; Tanoto Foundation, UNDP dan Tanoto Foundation mendukung SDGs di provinsi Riau, Indonesia; Senuju, Meranti Jadi ‘Pilot Project’ SDGs Provinsi Riau; and the Government of Riau, Sejarah Terbentuknya Provinsi Riau.
Cauayan City (the Philippines) Cauayan City took the lead of the SDG implementation process at the local level. In his 2017 State of the City Address, the mayor presented several actions related to all the 17 Goals. To eradicate poverty, for instance, the city is providing basic services addressing all sectors of society, making sure that ‘no one is left behind’. For Goal 2 on ‘zero hunger’, they ran supplementary feeding programmes all over the barangays and in schools, and established a local Food Bank. Malnutrition decreased to as low as 1.2%. On health, in collaboration with several NGOs, the City initiated new programmes and managed to successfully reduce maternal and neonatal deaths. The city government supported the so-called ‘18-day Campaign’ to fight violence against women. On access to and management of water, the City promoted the construction of a deep-well water system, distributed sanitary toilets to the barangays, installed 30 units of solar street lighting along the main highway, and promoted major ICT infrastructure in the attempt to transform Cauayan into a ‘smart city’. Source: State of the City Address 2017: Localizing the Sustainable Development Goals; Leonardo Perante II, Cauayan City adopts sustainable development goals; and web resources of the city government of Cauayan City.
35