The Sdgs: Global Commitment, International Cooperation, Local Action an Aid for Local Governments
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The SDGs: Global Commitment, International Cooperation, Local Action An Aid for Local Governments Introduction The UN Sustainable Development Goals eplicitly defines the relevance of global (SDGs or Global Goals), are the very expres- partnerships for the achievement of the other sion of the challenges of today: global in 16 goals. It then moves to possibilities that character, and at the same time as local as municipalities have to link the SDGs to their can be. Local governments play an important international economic relations. And it con- role in achieving the 17 SDGs, which together cludes with several examples of how local define the social, the physical and the econo- governments can promote global education mic elements of the integrated sustainability and awareness raising about the SDGs. agenda. Each municipality chooses what suits best its Everywhere in the policy objectives and reality. I hope this bro- world, day in day out, chure is a source of inspiration for your conti- local governments are nued or even increased contribution to the working hard to address global sustainability agenda. Because the these challenges. challenges are enormous and urgent. Action Sometimes the focus is is needed everywhere, including in The so much on the local Netherlands and Europe, and by all, including circumstances and local local governments. solutions that we tend to forget the wider context: the fact that VNG International, the International developments elsewhere strongly influence Cooperation Agency of the Association of our own lives, and the other way round, that Netherlands Municipalities, is looking forward much of what we do, has impact on people to a continuation of our partnership with local we have never met. The SDGs or Global governments and other stakeholders. In The Goals are built on the recognition of this Netherlands with our members, in Europe global interdependence. and worldwide as an active member of CEMR/Platforma and of UCLG, and through This brochure is an aid to local government our local government capacity-building pro- politicians and staff who want to include this jects for a range of donors. international dimension of the SDGs in their policies and practices. It describes different Peter Knip options for doing so. It starts with various Director of VNG International forms of international partnerships between local governments, as Global Goal 17 The SDGs: Global Commitment, International Cooperation, Local Action 1 Table of Contents Introduction 1 City Partnerships and Knowledge Exchange 3 Multi-stakeholder Partnership: 4 > Utrecht | Kajjansi (Uganda) Working in a Network: 6 > Schiedam | Eurotowns Cross-Border Cooperation: 8 > Rheden | North Rhine Westphalia (Germany) > Baarle Nassau | Baarle Hertog (Belgium) Community Intiative: 10 > Haarlem | Mutare (Zimbabwe) The Global Goals in Partnership Agreements: 12 > Waalwijk | Unna (Germany) > Utrecht | City of Taipei (Taiwan) > Oss | Taizhou (China) > Rheden | Langeberg (South Africa) | Rubavu (Rwanda) Awards, Prizes and Best Practices 14 Economic Relations and the SDGs 17 Responsible Business Conduct and the SDGs 18 The SDGs in Purchase and Procurement 20 Education and Awareness Raising 23 Raising the SDG Flag The International Day of …. Linking events with the SDGs European Days of Local Solidarity A Local Grant Scheme 2 VNG International City Partnerships and Knowledge Exchange SDG 17 is about the need for global partnership to achieve the sustainable development agenda. Public-public, public-private, and private-private partnerships, at international, national and sub-national levels. Local governments in the Netherlands alone, still maintain hundreds of international partnerships. The traditional one-to-one partnerships are more and more replaced by participation in broader knowledge networks or thematic networks. The explicit connection with the SDGs is still not very common, but this chapter gives some examples of Dutch municipalities who did make the choice to do so. The SDGs: Global Commitment, InternationalInternational Cooperation, Local Action 3 Multi-stakeholder Partnership: Utrecht | Kajjansi (Uganda) The city of Utrecht is very active in Background promoting the SDGs through strate- gic and constructive partnerships at With the ending of Utrecht’s 33 years partner- the local and national levels. But in ship with León (Nicaragua), the city started looking for new opportunities. At the same addition to this, Utrecht has also time Kajjansi, a fast growing township near been actively seeking to partner Kampala, in Uganda, was looking for exper- with European and other internatio- tise on local economic development. The aim nal entities to further promote and was to develop the local market area situated achieve the SDGs, building on a in a fast-growing urban area, in such a way long history of international sustai- that it would create value for the local busi- nable development partnerships. nesses and communities, while at the same Utrecht aims to develop partner- time reducing the area’s environmental ships that redefine the dynamics of footprint. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency investing in developing countries. (RVO) partly funded the program as the pro- ject aligns with the national policy to combine Late 2016, this aim became practical public and private investment to create sus- with the Kajjansi Junction pro- tainable business opportunities. The real gramme (Uganda). strength of the programme lies in its mul- ti-stakeholder approach including among others Utrecht University, and Utrecht based companies in the field of waste management, IT start-ups, and investors. In Kajjansi a ‘learn- ing living lab’ was established which is a gazetted area where innovative (business) solutions are cocreated, tested and show- cased. Global Goals Utrecht builds its attention for the Global Goals on three pillars: ‘together with the city’ (people, businesses, and other institutions); 4 VNG International within the municipal structures, focusing on healthy urban living for everyone; and inter- national cooperation. By creating business and investment opportunities, and building and sharing experience, knowledge and for the Uganda market. Next to that, a Dutch expertise, Utrecht sees partnering with deve- IT-company is currently developing an app loping countries as a mutuallybeneficial through which new services such as delivery means of contributing to SDGs 17 (Partner- for the local ‘boda boda’ drivers becomes ships for the Goals) and 11 (Sustainable Cities more efficient. & Communities), as well as others depending on the specifics of the proect. The challenges A potential worth-while future phase of the addressed in Kajjansi are meant to boost the project would be that continuity is guaran- local economy, create opportunities for teed and that it becomes a natural process young entrepreneurship and impact the that companies and the other involved orga- environment in a positive way. Policy develop- nisations know how to find and hire each ment and concrete improvements are sup- other. Besides this, there is hope that the ported in the planning of urban infrastructure junction programme example inspires other and basic services. municipalities in the country. That is also why the Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA) is involved. Added value and perspective The Dutch and Ugandan public and private ‘The SDGs have proven a very good partners co-created a business ecosystem basis for cooperation, because they addressing the area’s unique urban challen- provide a universal language that ges which methodology could be used as a helps to bridge cultural differences guideline for other municipalities as well. when discussing a particular problem Such a multi-stakeholder approach can be and the approach to solve it. In doing quite a challenge and comes with discussi- so, we find out that local governments ons, but in the end leads to the best result. working in different environments, Furthermore, also concrete products were basically share to a large extent the developed. One of them is a responsible and same challenges. fair system of waste collection, through which Etienne de Jager, Municipality of Utrecht. waste is recycled into new products of value The SDGs: Global Commitment, International Cooperation, Local Action 5 Working in a network: Schiedam | Eurotowns There are numerous thematic Background European and international net- works, in which also many Dutch Eurotowns was established in 1991 as the municipalities participate. Europe-wide network for towns and cities with populations between 50.000 and The SDGs offer a common language 250.000. The Dutch cities of Schiedam and for the exchange of experience on Haarlem are members of the network, challenges that various or all together with 16 other towns and cities in 7 European municipalities face. European countries. The Eurotowns website The Eurotowns network of medi- states: ‘City networking is an important prac- um-sized cities has therefore crea- tice for reinforcing European Cohesion. (…) ted a Global Goals working group, Eurotowns supports medium-sized cities in based on the vision that cities and Europe to strengthen their role as attractive, local communities are key to the inclusive and sustainable places. successful implementation of the Furthermore, Eurotowns provides a valuable mechanism for building reliable partnerships, sustainable development agenda. developing innovative and sustainable pro- jects, and effective collaboration on European Union funding applications.