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TOOLKIT This document is an easy guide for local governments and their associations on how to participate in the United Nations’ UN75 consultation and beyond. It pays special attention at the possibility to organize consultation among political representatives on how they envisage the role of our constituency in the future multilateral system.
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#ShapingOurFuture
LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS
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sultation commenced in a session in
system that is fit for purpose to meet
which the local and regional govern-
these aspirations.
On the occasion of the 75th Anni-
ments constituency, representing
versary of the United Nations, the
local governments, regions and their
The Report should reflect the visions
UN Secretary-General has launched
associations, together with interna-
of world regions but also that of the
a global conversation on the role of
tional organizations, civil society and
different types of local governments
global cooperation in building the fu-
academia started to co-create and
and has the most diverse and inclu-
ture. He considers this consultation a
define the specific questions that
sive approach possible towards the
milestone to capture the views of the
will be answered by the constituency
constituency as a whole.
global public and stakeholders from
on the future of multilateralism, the
all sectors on the future of multilater-
future of the UN, and in general on
UCLG members and Sections are in-
alism and its role in managing global
the future it wants in 2045, the year
vited to organize consultations. Also,
trends, including climate change,
that marks the 100th anniversary of
all members of the Global Taskforce
changing demographics, new tech-
the UN.
are invited to participate.
Moreover, the constituency expressed
A draft report needs to be presented
As part of its mandate to enhance
its priorities and set the global trends
to the United Nations in June.
the role of local governments in in-
that it would like the questions to fo-
ternational policy making, and given
cus on, namely the ecological tran-
The final version is envisaged to be
that the local and regional govern-
sition, peace and solidarity, equality
presented to the UN Secretary Gen-
ment’s constituency will be at the
and justice, and the right to the city,
eral in September within the frame-
heart of managing these challenges,
among others.
work of the UN General Assembly.
nologies and inequalities.
UCLG has confirmed its commitment to promoting the UN75 initiative,
by disseminating the online survey (http://un75.online) and increasing
#UN75 decided to #Listen2Cities
the number of people consulted and
Upon request of the United Nations,
the diversity of those engaged.
UCLG has committed to facilitate
a Report on the vision of local and During the 2020 UCLG Retreat held
regional leaders of the challenges
in Tangier from 24 to 28 February,
ahead, the future we imagine, and an
the groundbreaking, dynamic con-
inclusive and networked multilateral
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THE CONCERNS OF THE CONSTITUENCY
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Global action, learning and exchange
Is it up to local and regional governments,
is in the very DNA of the internation-
together with member states, to deliv-
al municipal system with its origins
er the global agreements? What kind of
in 1913. Our Municipal Diplomacy is
system is fit for purpose to be able to ac-
based on the very notion of need-
celerate implementation and achieve the
ed to learn from each other and ac-
global goals?
knowledging the interconnectivity of our destiny as humanity. This be-
What is the new model of governance
comes even more relevant in the era
that allows us to achieve the localization
of urbanization when the solutions
of the goals that we committed to?
to many of our worldwide challenges need to be led from our cities, big
What governance do we need for our in-
and small and with a territorial ap-
terconnected future?
proach-based solidarity.
Are Local and Regional Governments In a world where local and regional
seeing and imagining themselves as the
governments are currently leading
spaces in which transformation is tak-
the way, with half of the global pop-
ing place?
ulation and over 70% of its economy, the time to “beg� to be represented in
What is our role in delivering the global
the global system is over.
agreements? What kind of system is fit for purpose to be able to accelerate implementation and achieve the global goals? How do we imagine our place in a renewed UN System?
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What are they for?
REGIONAL AND SPECIFIC CONSULTATIONS
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The regional and specific consul-
Who organizes? Who convenes?
What is expected of the participants?
tation are a series of engagement
UCLG Sections, Local and Regional
To provide inputs and answers to the
meetings of local elected represent-
Governments’ Associations or local
global questions. To provide a vision
atives and practitioners in which the
and regional government members
on the world we want for the future.
key issues to be addressed in the re-
can convene a session. Special at-
To disseminate among communities
port will be debated.
tention will be payed to Sections.
the UN75 general conversation and encourage participation.
Who should give their opinion?
Give visibility to the consultation on
UCLG leadership Representatives of
social media.
local and regional governments; Local & Regional Government Asso-
Where and when?
ciations Officials and practitioners
Consultations can be organized either by in-person meetings or on line. Organizations are encouraged to use the existing activities as the framework of consultations.
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The Report will be structured in 4
vey with a specific perspective of our
stand how the relationship between
segments. An introduction and 3
constituency.
rural and urban areas are evolving.
The first chapter reflects on the
The climate emergency that our
The Introduction: Will provide the
world we live in in 2020: its main sys-
planet faces, the unfulfilled civil de-
overview of our constituency´s call
temic challenges, the global trends
mands, and the growing inequalities
for a seat at the table. It will provide
both positive and negative that de-
are showcasing the limits of our cur-
the background on the movement
termine the work of local and region-
rent action, and are even putting the
and will also include the perspective
al governments today, the obstacles
current human rights to the test on
of key partners that our movement
they face and also the global frame-
how, and if, our current conception
has been working with during the
works that regulate them.
of human rights can evolve for the
chapters.
THE LRG REPORT PROCESS
past’s decade. It will build the argu-
coming decades.
ment for the necessity to change the
A world in which centralization
paradigms and the existing models
trends are affecting local demo-
The current model of governance
of multilateralism. The following ide-
cratic self-governance and thus the
needs to shift, by 2045, if we are to
as, our patrimony as movement will
capacity of our communities to own
transform the world according to
be at the center:
the global goals and truly contribute
the dreams of our communities.
to the SDGs. The Universal Develop-
The current international system is
ment Agendas, chief among them
one of sparse international coop-
the 2030 Agenda, the New Urban
eration that does not consider all of
•Local Democracy is and should be in
Agenda, and the Paris Agreement,
the stakeholders as equally neces-
the heart of peaceful and just soci-
represent a new social contract that
sary for transformation. A top down
eties.
needs to be fulfilled, and the urgen-
approach towards governance that
•The seat at the table of our constit-
cy to do so becomes greater when
ultimately deems local and regional
uencies is a strong link of communi-
faced with challenges that threaten
governments and other stakeholders
ties with international institutions.
the very core of our planet.
that defend and protect the multilat-
•City Diplomacy is Transformative Diplomacy.
•From an international system-built
eral system as secondary actors.
post wars to an inter-urban system
Our current development model, in
at the urbanization era.
spite of the transformative efforts of
A second chapter on the world ex-
the global development agendas, is
pected in 2045 and the constituen-
The structure of the 3 Chapters is
also rooted in an artificial urban-ru-
cy’s vision for 25 years from now: this
designed to speak to the UN75 sur-
ral dichotomy that does not under-
vision should provide an answer to
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THE LRG REPORT PROCESS
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the issues raised in 2020 and should
manent and temporary) will be able
belong to, explicitly acknowledging
also provide continuity to the trends
to use, occupy, produce, govern and
the fundamental importance of un-
raised in the previous section.
enjoy just, inclusive, safe and sustain-
derstanding and promoting sustain-
able cities, villages and settlements
able development across the whole
A decentralized world and multilater-
(Right to the City). An inclusive global
urban-rural continuum.
al system with strong local commu-
governance will lead 2045 driven by
In an ideal multilateralism, stronger
nity participation in the international
solidarity and peace preserving our
collaboration and dialogue across
architecture will reinforce the push
planet. For this, we will need to bring
generations will be vital to explore
towards the achievement of future
about changes in the way we co-cre-
alternatives for delivering sustain-
social contracts and empowered
ate the territory, by empowering the
able development in 2045. Special
communities will take full ownership
community and to harness the power
emphasis will be need on defending
of the localization processes.
of co-production of our cities and ter-
the commons, and placing local level
ritories. We will transition an inter-na-
public service delivery at the heart
We imagine a world with an integrat-
tional to an inter-urban system where
of the investments. A new genera-
ed planning approach, as reflected in
Local and Regional Governments will
tion of legal and policy frameworks,
the New Urban Agenda, to strength-
consolidate as the spaces in which
capacity building, peer to peer learn-
en the inclusive dimension of cities,
transformation takes place.
ing and political debates to move
climate adaptation and mitigation
Finally, the last chapter will answer
towards an urban model based on
and disaster risk prevention strate-
what structural shift there must be
human rights and the right to the city
gies, and multiply the benefits of in-
in international multilateralism to
should be developed.
terlinkages between urban and ter-
face the reality we imagine in 2045. The structural shift requires a better
ritorial areas.
In 2045, a new relationship between
The structural shift requires co-cre-
articulated international architec-
our society and the natural world will
ation mechanisms that allow the allo-
ture based on a networked, inclusive
become a reality built on the princi-
cation of competences and respon-
and territorial multilateral system.
ples of solidarity and territories as the
sibilities of the different spheres of
The territorially integrated multilat-
living spaces of human values and ac-
government and society both verti-
eral system will promote bottom up
tions: the true ecological transition.
cally and horizontally in accordance
development and will tackle issues
A world centered on the basis of the
with the principle of subsidiarity.
related to siloes and reach those
principles of social justice, equity, de-
A shift in the approach will also be
‘furthest behind’ first. A true interna-
mocracy and sustainability where all
needed in order articulate the urban
tional system that ensures all voices
inhabitants (present and future; per-
areas into the wider territory they
are truly heard.
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How should the consultations be shaped? The consultations should take no more than 90 minutes, and be divided into three aspects, coinciding with the chapters of the Report: The consultations can be held on-line, through platforms such as “Zoom�.
REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS:
The current trends and challenges in 2020
The world we expect in 2045
The structural shift that we expect to see
1. What is our role in delivering the global agreements?
1. How have the current trends changed by the year 2045?
2. What are the three key defining traits of the current international system?
2. Are Local and Regional Governments seeing and imagining themselves as the spaces in which transformation is taking place?
1. What is the new model of governance that has allowed us to achieve the localization of the goals that we committed to?
3. Is it up to local and regional governments, together with member states, to deliver the global agreements?
2. How do we imagine our place in this renewed UN System?
3. What governance do we need for our interconnected future?
3. What are the tools set in place for us to carry out our role in the new system?
A. It is expected for members to an-
B. It is expected for the regional sec-
C. It is expected for sections to give
swer to the questions below in a
tions to hold these consultations
visibility to the consutation on so-
political and open manner, bring-
involving as many participants as
cial media.
ing to the table the local expertise
possible, gathering their answers
and the challenges that need to
to ensure that the views from our
be answered for the future of our
membership from all over the
communities
world is heard.
What is to be expected?
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