The Localization of the SDGs and post-pandemic recovery through enhanced multilevel governance

Title Accelerating progress towards the localization of the SDGs and post-pandemic recovery through enhanced multilevel governance

Duration February 2021 – July2022

Partners UN-Habitat, United Cities Local Governments, Brookings Institution, London School of Economic

Funding German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)

 

Context

In the context of the pandemic recovery, it is now more important than ever that central governments, local governments and actors active in the territories coordinate effectively to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals at the local level. In march 2022, UN-Habitat constituted a knowledge partnership that includes United Cities Local Governments, Brookings Institution, London School of Economics and the ARCO research centre collaborating in order to share knowledge, expertise and experience on the topics of Multilevel Governance for SDGs implementation and SDGs localization.

Previously, UN-Habitat has consolidated and alliance with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on SDG localization, specifically looking at multilevel governance as leverage to accelerate implementation of the Global Goals.

 

General Objective

The project ‘Accelerating progress towards the SDGs and post-pandemic recovery through better multilevel governance’ aims to provide local and national governments with knowledge, examples and practical guidance on how to improve their multilevel coordination mechanisms for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

In particular, the research explores how effective multi-level governance systems can promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the local level, and thus, a sustainable, green and inclusive post-pandemic recovery.

 

Our contribution

ARCO researchers developed an innovative analytical framework to describe the link between the various components and processes of multilevel governance and the localisation of the 2030 Agenda through an analysis of literature, reports and documents from international organisations and academic articles on the topic.

This framework was then applied to a number of international case studies identified through a thorough desk review and discussion with knowledge partners. In order to deepen the knowledge of the selected case studies – Argentina, Philippines, Ghana, Jordan, Italy – ARCO conducted in-depth interviews with representatives of each country’s national government, local government associations and local authorities to understand which internal systems countries have in place to foster multi-level governance for sustainable development.

The research was presented during the panel ‘Multilevel Governance: Accelerating progress towards post-pandemic recovery’ organised in the context of the ‘UN-Habitat at the HLPF’ event in parallel to the UN High-Level Political Forum sessions.

To read an extract of the final research, browse below:

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