Eurasia Regional Chapter

03 134 GOLD V REPORT Eurasia Regional chapter Market stall in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (photo: Christopher Rose, bit. ly/2Mus3Gi). GOLD V REPORT —— EURASIA 135 1. Introduction Page 137 2. National and local institutional frameworks for the implementation of the SDGs Page 138 2.1. National institutional frameworks 2.2. Local and regional governments’ institutional frameworks in Eurasia region 2.3. Multilevel governance relations for the implementation of the global agendas 3. The contribution of local and regional governments to the localization of the SDGs Page 156 3.1. How local and regional governments and their associations and networks contribute to creating awareness and promoting ownership of the SDGs 3.2. Local and regional government-driven initiatives to localize the SDGs 4. Conclusions Eurasia Page 166 Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Georgia Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Mongolia Russian Federation Tajikistan Turkmenistan Ukraine Uzbekistan 136 GOLD V REPORT 1. Introduction In September 2015, all the Eurasian countries growth in their populations since the mid-2000s, reviewed in this chapter adopted the 2030 mainly because of in-migration. At the same Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals time, provincial regions and cities have found (SDGs). National governments acknowledged themselves vulnerable in the context of the new that the SDGs are major priorities and that economy. Crisis conditions have been particularly the responsibility for achieving the Goals and pronounced in mono-sectoral industrial cities and targets should be shared between central districts that rely on one company or a localized regional and local governments. cluster of enterprises in one industry. Throughout the past three decades, countries The degradation of the utilities infrastructure in the Eurasia region have experienced several experienced by most countries in the 1990s has in important transformations. According to acting the last decade been halted and to some extent Constitutions, developed in the early 1990s, all reversed. Local and regional governments (LRGs) Eurasian countries, except Russia, are unitary in Eurasian countries have made significant efforts states. Since that time, there has been no change of to improve public services. While the context is regime in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, constantly changing, decentralization in Eurasian Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which are presidential countries remains limited. Central governments republics. Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and Armenia, on in the region continue to promote top-down the other hand, became parliamentary republics approaches and impose national programmes for in 2010, 2013 and 2015 respectively. Ukraine regional development on LRGs. has gained mixed status as a parliamentary This chapter analyses the role of LRGs in the presidential republic. localization of the SDGs in the Eurasia region. Moreover, war and ‘colour’ revolutions have The first section focuses on the national SDG affected the political stability of most countries. implementation strategies being promoted in Those include the armed conflicts between different countries. It looks at national mechanisms Azerbaijan and Armenia (1991-1994); the civil war to foster policy coherence, and evolving multilevel in Tajikistan (1992-1994); Chechen wars in Russia relationships towards achieving sustainable (1994-1996 and 1999-2000); the Revolution of development. Moreover, it assesses the local Roses in Georgia (2003); the Orange Revolution in and regional structure of governments, their Ukraine (2004); the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan responsibilities and budgets. (2005); the armed conflict between Georgia The second section illustrates the contribution and Russia (2008); the Euromaidan Revolution of LRG initiatives in achieving the SDGs in Ukraine (2014); the Crimea conflict between and highlights the role of local government Ukraine and Russia (2014); the armed conflict in associations (LGAs) and networks in raising Eastern Ukraine (2014- present); and the Velvet awareness and aligning local and regional Revolution in Armenia (2018). Because of these initiatives with the global SDG framework. Lastly, political and armed conflicts, Ukraine and Georgia the chapter will showcase the transformative have removed themselves from the sphere of power of local implementation of the 2030 Russia’s influence. Agenda for Sustainable Development. Currently the level of urbanization in Eurasian countries varies from 77.6% in Belarus to 26.9% in Tajikistan.1 However, the reforms of the 1990s provoked strong polarization and uneven development of regions in the majority of Eurasian Local and regional governments in countries. The agglomeration or concentration effects are a key factor of spatial differentiation Eurasian countries have made significant that has favoured larger cities, particularly efforts to improve public services. national capitals. These cities have been reporting GOLD V REPORT —— EURASIA 137 2. National and local institutional frameworks for the implementation of the SDGs 138 GOLD V REPORT 2.1 National institutional frameworks Seven Eurasian countries have so far submitted programme had been adopted. In the case of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) to the United the Russian Federation, it has not integrated the Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF): Georgia SDGs into national development plans (NDPs) nor (in 2016), Belarus, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan (in shown any leadership in championing the 2030 2017), Armenia (in 2018), and Azerbaijan (again) Agenda. This is demonstrated particularly by the and Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan (in 2019). absence of public statements made by the Head of State on how the country plans to implement SDGs national strategies and plan the SDGs.2 Uzbekistan meanwhile considers its Three categories emerge among countries in mid-term plan (2017-2021) to be in line with the the Eurasia region according to their level of SDGs’ vision and ambitions. commitment and the quality of their strategies However, a word of caution should be sounded to reach the SDGs. Firstly are those countries in the case of Russia. The country’s 2020 NDS, that have drawn up new national development formulated in 2008, was substituted by the new Key strategies (NDSs) in line with the global agendas. Guidelines for the Russian Federation Government Second, are those countries that have adapted Activities which extends until the end of the pre-existing strategies to the SDGs (or are in the presidential term, in 2024. The Russian National course of doing so) or adopted specific roadmaps Programme 2018-2024 includes 12 national to respond to the SDGs. Third, are those countries projects with 150 development goals. Sectoral that have not yet aligned their development ministries have committed to promote sustainable strategies or plans with the 2030 Agenda. development and all national and sector strategic In the first category, countries such as Belarus, documents are thus framed in terms of achieving Tajikistan and Ukraine are implementing NDSs the ‘Strategic Development Objectives’. With designed after the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable regards to international development cooperation, Development was adopted in 2015. These Russia has been adapting its international strategies have thus been aligned from the outset assistance programmes to the SDGs.3 with the SDG framework. Almost all Eurasian national governments In the second category, Armenia, Azerbaijan involve LRGs in the implementation of their and Kyrgyzstan, for example, adopted their countries’ NDSs. However, this process remains current NDSs before 2015 and the 2030 Agenda. predominantly top-down. Accordingly, in most Nonetheless, in these countries the national countries central governments elaborate and governments either adopted new strategic adopt national and regional development roadmaps (Azerbaijan) or drafted a new long-term programmes without explicitly engaging their development strategy incorporating the SDGs, LRGs. Nonetheless, national governments do such as in Armenia (in 2017; Horizon 2030) and give regional and local executive bodies (both Kyrgyzstan (in 2018; Horizon 2040). Both drafted strategies are under discussion. The third group of countries includes different sub-categories. Both Georgia and Kazakhstan, Three categories emerge among which have reported to the HLPF during this first cycle, are continuing to implement national countries in the Eurasia region strategies developed before 2015. Georgia is according to their level of commitment seeking to align its Annual Government Work Plan with the SDGs. In Kazakhstan, the focus has and the quality of their strategies to been on harmonizing the budget and planning. reach the SDGs. The process remains Similarly, in Turkmenistan, the monitoring and reporting systems of the 2017-2021 Presidential predominantly top-down. Programme were aligned with the SDGs after the GOLD V REPORT —— EURASIA 139 Table 1 National development strategies and plans and their coordination mechanisms Armenia Georgia Mongolia The country is updating the long- Social and Economic Development Mongolia’s Sustainable term Armenian Development Strategy ‘Georgia 2020’ (2014) Development Vision-2030 (MSDV- Strategy 2014-2025. Coordination: and several sectoral plans. 2030). Coordination: National National Council for Sustainable Coordination: Administration of Committee for Sustainable Development (2000), headed Government of Georgia, mainly Development under the guidance by the Prime Minister (multi- under the Government

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