The Position Paper on Aid Effectiveness and Local Government was adopted unanimously by the World Council on the 13th of November.
Please use the links below to access the final version of the UCLG Position Paper in three languages:
The Capacity and Institution Building (CIB) Working Group was mandated by the UCLG Executive Bureau to develop a formal policy position that could be used in international advocacy work and that would develop a common understanding among members. The position paper is the result of research lead by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in partnership with the CIB Working Group and the UCLG World Secretariat.
This document has received inputs provided by CIB Working Group members and other UCLG members and partners. It builds on the stakeholder meetings organised by the UN and the OECD among others, where the organised local government voice has been able to participate. The paper emphasizes the need for the full acknowledgement of local and regional governments as development partners occupying a rightful place in the international Aid Effectiveness debates. It highlights the constraints of perspective of the five Paris Declaration principles to boost an equilibrated development process with participation of local stakeholders. It further sets out actions that local and regional authorities, as well as their associations can take.
The position paper is a brief document of 4 pages providing concise background to the issue. It further contains a section with recommendations for the international and donor community and a section with recommendations to local and regional governments, and their associations. A background paper is further attached to the document providing arguments to the recommendations and tackling, more in-depth, some of the key issues of the debate. The third part of the document is a compilation of case studies, which illustrate how the local government sector can contribute to the effectiveness of aid delivery.
The following work plan, presented by the CIB Working Group, was also approved by the World Council:
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Through the Regional Sections of UCLG, an annual survey should be undertaken to obtain anecdotal evidence of the impact of the Aid Effectiveness agenda on local governments;
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Through lobbying the OECD, a mechanism should be put in place to collect financial data on the impact of the implementation of the Aid Effectiveness principles on local government;
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UCLG should ensure follow up to be able to present a progress report and recommendations at the High Level Forum in Seoul in 2011.
We thank all CIB Working Group members for their valuable contributions!