Preparing the
Communication on
Local Authorities
in Development: the Issue
Paper
Development
and
Cooperation
Contents
• Actors
• Local Authorities
• Associations of Local Authorities
• Background
• The Structured Dialogue
• The Agenda for Change
• The Busan Partnership
• Preparing the Communication
• A new paradigm
• Issues for Communication consultation
• The process
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and
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Actors
The term "Local Authority" (LA) is used in its widest
sense:
- directly or indirectly elected public governing
bodies at sub-national level,
- in a given territory,
- as defined by law,
- with a degree of autonomy from the central
government,
- possessing a set of competences to deliver public
goods and services to citizens.
This definition encompasses a large variety of public
governing bodies at various levels i.e. municipalities,
communities, districts, counties, provinces and regions,
etc.
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Actors (continued)
The term "Association of Local Authorities" (AAL) defines:
- umbrella organisations,
- based on membership and representatives at
national, regional, continental and international levels,
- with a permanent body established as an
autonomous entity,
- in accordance with the legislation in force in the
country of registration.
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Background
• The Structured Dialogue on the involvement of Civil
Society and Local Authorities in EC Development
Cooperation (March 2010- May 2011)
• The Agenda for Change (2011)
• The Busan Partnership for Effective Development
Cooperation
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The Structured Dialogue
Key messages and recommendations:
• EU to promote enabling environment in partner countries;
• Strategic involvement of CSOs/LAs - right of initiative;
• EU to promote/support inclusive multi stakeholders dialogue;
• Need to better coordinate at local level – consultation;
• Improve partnership between LAs from the EU and partner
countries;
• European LAs to acknowledge leading role of LAs from partner
countries;
• Reinforced networks with CSOs and LA focal points in
delegations;
• Revise selection and support mechanisms: beyond traditional
Calls for Proposals.
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The Agenda for Change
• Setting out a forward looking and more strategic
approach to poverty reduction and sustainable
development.
• Good governance and inclusive growth are the
key components of this approach.
• [...] “The EU should strengthen its links with […] Local
Authorities, through regular dialogue and use of best
practices".
• […] "The EU should consider ways of mobilizing local
authorities’ expertise, e.g. through networks of
excellence or twinning exercises”.
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The Busan Partnership
Article 21: "local governments play critical roles in:
 Linking citizens with government;
 Defining development policies and partnerships;
 Ensuring broad-based and democratic ownership
of countries' development agendas".
Commitment of all Actors to:
Further support local governments to enable them to
assume more fully their roles above and beyond service
delivery, enhancing participation and accountability at the
sub-national levels.
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Toward a new paradigm
• To promote a strategic engagement with LAs
• Emphasis on LAs from partner countries and on
governance-related roles and sustainable
development at local level
• Scope of the Communication
• Policy and Strategy
• Operational component for 2014 – 2020 cycle
-Overall support to CSOs through geographical funds
-The new Thematic Programme for CSOs and LAs
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New paradigm
Towards a strategic
EU engagement with LAs
at all levels
Emphasis on
Local Authorities
in Partner Countries
An ‘enabling environment’
consistent with
international rights and
development
commitments maximizing
LAs participation to
development
Focus on
Territorial Development:
• Multi-Sector
• Multi-actor
• Dynamic Process
• Partners in dialogue
• Partners in action
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Issues for the Consultation
1. Framing LAs roles in current international debates
2. Good Governance for Development: the local level
3. Territorial Development
4. Decentralisation
5. Support to Urban and Rural Local authorities in the
context of rapid urbanisation
6. Associations of Local Authorities in partner countries
7. Enhancing the internal capacities of Local Authorities
8. Towards a consistent EU engagement with Local
Authorities at country level and in delivery
mechanisms
Development
and
Cooperation
1. Framing LAs roles in current
international debates
LAs and the Busan Aid Effectiveness Principles:
• Busan marked a shift from ‘aid effectiveness’ ->
‘development effectiveness’;
• Focus on enabling environment, partnerships and
‘democratic ownership’.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):
• Participation of LAs in the definition of the post-2015
development agenda
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2. Good Governance for Development:
the local level
At local level, governance could be understood as the
way LAs exercise power and authority in the
management of public policies and goods through
the allocation of available resources, on the basis of
processes of interaction between LAs, other public
institutions at different levels and citizens.
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3. Territorial Development
Dynamic process based on a multi-actor and multisectoral approach, in which different local institutions
and actors work together to define priorities, plan and
implement sustainable development strategies at
local level, including the sustainable management of the
rural areas and their economic and social links with
urban centres, the decentralisation processes and issues
of local governance.
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4. Decentralisation
• In the last 20 years, decentralisation has increased in
importance in development cooperation, in order to seek
to improve the delivery of public goods and services as
well as to increase local participation in policy-making
processes.
• Decentralisation constitutes a particular aspect of public
sector reforms.
• Process which involves the transfer of a range of powers
(decision making, revenue-raising, etc), responsibilities
(service delivery) and resources (financial, human, and
administrative) from higher levels in political systems
(central governments) to authorities at lower level.
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5. Support to Urban and Rural Local
authorities in the context of rapid
urbanisation
• Urbanisation is emerging alongside rural exodus, putting
rural and urban Local Authorities under pressure, as they
struggle to respond to the effects of these rapid demographic
shifts.
• LAs in urbanising areas have a decisive role to address the
challenges this process brings along, such as improving
quality of life, the inclusivity of different stakeholders’
interests and the sustainability of development policies and
plans at local level.
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6. Associations of Local Authorities in
partner countries
ALAs are important actors of development in their
capacities of creating solid and long-lasting bonds that
contribute to institutional and capacity development, to
the effectiveness of participation in political dialogues
and to enhancement of LAs’ leadership role.
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7. Enhancing the internal capacities of
Local Authorities
• Local governance and development processes require
concerted efforts in institutional reforms and capacity
development, which should therefore be associated
with the strengthening of Local Authorities.
• A redefined approach to capacity development of LAs
may have to take into account the roles of Local
Authorities and coordination amongst relevant
stakeholders at local level as well as the existing
institutional framework at country and local levels.
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8. Towards a consistent EU engagement
with Local Authorities at country level
and in delivery mechanisms
• Need of establishing a coherent strategy of the EU at
country level, built upon a thorough understanding of
LAs dynamics, including the roles that different tiers of
government play.
• Setting up of adequate delivery mechanisms matching
LAs' specific characteristics and needs.
• Decentralised cooperation between EU LAs and their
counterparts in third countries can bring value added
through a continuous process of peer-to-peer
knowledge sharing.
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The process
• Consultation through targeted regional seminars with ALA, in
cooperation with PLATFORMA - the European Platform of Local and
Regional Authorities for Development: end of August-November
2012
• Consultation led by EU Delegations at country level: SeptemberNovember 2012
• Discussions with stakeholders and Member States in HQ:
September – October 2012
• Meeting of the Policy Forum on Development* in Brussels:
18/19.10.2012
• Drafting of the Communication: November 2012 onwards
• Adoption: beginning of 2013
* The Policy Forum on Development is a follow-up to the Structured Dialogue. It will provide CSOs and LAs
from the EU and from partner countries with a space for multi-stakeholder dialogue at the EC Headquarter
level.
Development
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Cooperation
MANY THANKS!
Development
and
Cooperation