One year after the celebration of the IV World Forum on Local Economic Development, the city of Mindelo, Cape Verde, hosted the II International Summit of Local Leaders from October 17 to 19, 2018. The event was organized by the Government of Cape Verde, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Cape Verde, the Government of Luxembourg and the National Association of Municipalities of Cape Verde (ANMCV).

The Summit brought together representatives of the Cape Verdean national government, city leaders from all its municipalities, together with international entities, bilateral partners, the private sector, civil society and local and regional governments from Brazil, Guinea-Bissau, Portugal, Spain and Italy. The general objective was to discuss the importance of local leadership for the promotion of Local Economic Development processes and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For three days, successful experiences and good practices of local leadership in the mobilization of local actors for sustainable development were presented. For example, the first panel discussed the type of leadership needed to support local economic development. The need for collaborative leadership was highlighted to involve and facilitate the participation of different levels of governments, departments and stakeholders in the process. The second panel analyzed the capabilities and instruments that can reduce regional growth asymmetries, reviewing the particular context of Cape Verde and its different islands, and evaluating the benefits of creating an intermediate level of government in the country. The third panel focused on local leadership for localizing the SDGs and the role that municipal leaders, civil society and the private sector play in achieving these global goals. On the occasion, the government presented the national and local Cape Verdean strategy for the SDGs. In addition, several experiences from the city of Praia were presented, developed within the framework of the joint project of the UNDP and the city of Madrid to support the localization of the SDGs and promote peaceful and inclusive cities; from São Salvador do Mundo on SDG 5; and from City Habitat and CERAI, on how NGOs are supporting the localization of the SDGs in the country. Finally, the fourth panel discussed how a multi-stakeholder partnership approach is providing local development opportunities for Cape Verde.

The event also provided the opportunity to analyze the impact of the World Forum on Local Economic Development process in the country. In this regard, Ms. Francisca Santos, representing the government of Cape Verde, stated that after hosting the 4th world edition, the government has integrated local economic development into its national agenda. She emphasized how the forum process allowed for the creation of partnerships and the activation of peer-to-peer learning activities with other countries to achieve inclusive and sustainable territories. In addition, she positively analyzed the benefits of involving all the country’s islands in the preparation and post-forum efforts, which made it possible to bring the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development closer to the communities.

Among the results of the 4th edition of the forum, it was highlighted how the forum provided the opportunity to cement and operationalize cooperation activities through the signing of several cooperation agreements between the National Association of Municipalities of Cape Verde (ANMCV) and the Fund Andalusian Municipalities for International Solidarity (FAMSI); the Brazilian National Confederation of Municipalities (CNM); the Municipal Association of Pernambuco, Brazil (AMUPE) and the Portuguese Network of Intermunicipal Cooperation for Development (RICD).

Concluding the event, the final declaration reinforced the key role of local leaders in localizing the SDGs. This includes the action that several Cape Verdean municipalities are currently carrying out through the Municipal Strategic Plans for Sustainable Development (PEMDS), which are developed through a participatory process with an SDG lens, with the support of UNDP Cape Verde , through Local Platforms. to achieve the 2030 Agenda. Read the full set of recommendations here.

The declaration also aims to enrich the debate towards the celebration of the V edition of the World Forum on Local Economic Development, which was presented by Mr. Johannes Krassnitzer, Coordinator of the UNDP ART Initiative, and Mr. Emilio Rabasco, Director of Programs . of FAMSI, during the Summit. The next forum will be held in Córdoba, Argentina in September 2019.