Thank you to all the local development, sustainability and civil society leaders who over the past week shared their creative ideas and practical solutions for achieving a sustainable world!
News
The fourth edition of the World Forum on Local Economic Development, which began in 2011, took place from October 17 to 20 in Praia, the Cape Verdean capital, and was attended by the highest officials of the Government of Cape Verde, the United Nations and its Agencies and dozens of Mayors, Presidents of Regions and Ministers from all continents.
The number of participants in this international meeting of politicians and local economic development agents exceeded the expectation of two thousand registered. 2,800 participants contributed to the forum, with delegations representing 85 countries. They participated in more than 50 sessions, including high-level plenary sessions, interactive panels, policy dialogues and many other activities that provided the opportunity to more than 250 speakers and global representatives to discuss and share their vision on Local Economic Development.
For 4 days, in addition to the scheduled sessions, the forum provided a space for the signing of various cooperation agreements, exchanges and B2B contacts to create synergies between local authorities, regions and local economic development institutions in several countries.
“Cape Verde is to be congratulated. The Fourth World Forum was a success,” said Ulrika Richardson, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program in Cape Verde, in her closing remarks. Ulisses Correia e Silva, Prime Minister of Cape Verde took advantage of the occasion to renew Cape Verde’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the importance of ensuring its location.
The Forum provided the opportunity to analyze the consolidated set of diverse and widely applied LED practices and tools aimed at expanding equal income opportunities and decent work. In this regard, Johannes Krassnitzer, Coordinator of the UNDP ART Initiative, highlighted the relevance of using the local economic development approach as a vehicle for the local implementation of the SDGs.
In the closing session, Manuel de Pina, President of the Cape Verdean Association of Municipalities, read the Praia Declaration, which expresses the set of intentions, commitments and resolutions that emerged from this IV World Forum on Local Economic Development.
A full report of the event is currently being prepared and will be shared on the Forum website. More videos capturing some key moments from the forum, along with interviews with delegates, speakers and participants, are being edited and will be shared with you as soon as they are available.
Let us thank you once again for your active participation that made this event a true success. We hope to see you again at the 5th World Forum on Local Economic Development!