I2UD has been commissioned by the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) to write a chapter of the forthcoming Third Global Report on Local Government Decentralization (GOLD III). Launched in 2006, the GOLD Reports provide critical information on local governments, particularly on the decentralization process, municipal finance, and service delivery. Gold III will focus on management and access to public services such as potable water, sanitation, electricity, transportation, and solid waste collection and disposal. The GOLD III Report will contribute valuable data on the progress of the Millennium Development Goals by providing a clear picture of citizen-government interactions at the local level. Aligning with its expertise in the Middle East and North Africa, I2UD will author the chapter on local governments in the Middle East and West Asia.
The GOLD III Report will be presented during the UCLG’s 4th World Congress in Rabat in October 2013; it will be published in 2014.
In a separate mission, Dr Serageldin traveled to Marseille, France, in the beginning of April to present to over 400 local authority officials and decision-makers from the Mediterranean for UCLG’s 3rd Forum of Local and Regional Authorities of the Mediterranean on Democratic Governance. The Forum convenes policymakers from 24 countries for the first time since the Arab “Spring” and the more recent fiscal restructuring in southern European countries; they will discuss strategies to strengthen local democracy, learn about issues facing the region’s youth, and evaluate the activities of international donors. I2UD Vice President Dr Mona Serageldin discussed “Local governments and the state of basic services in the Mediterranean region” as part of a workshop on Decentralization and Public Services at the local level.
For more on the Forum, see the UCLG website.