Module 7 Creating Vertical Policy Coherence Glocalizing the Agenda

The 2030 Agenda “Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) are critical for promoting inclusive sustainable development within their territories, and as such for the implementation of the post agenda.” “Local strategic planning would allow a greater integration of the three pillars of development: social, economic and environmental. Likewise, further integration between urban and rural areas needs to be promoted, in order to foster greater territorial cohesion.” Post-2015 Dialogues on Implementation (UNDG 2015)

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Institutional coordinating mechanisms Multi-stakeholder consultative bodies and forums Local Agenda 21s and networks Monitoring and review at the local level Impact assessment processes Integrated modelling

Guidance Step #1 Institutional coordinating mechanisms To foster partnerships and coordination across levels of government

The starting point To promote vertical coherence and integration governments can create explicit institutional links between sustainable development strategies and supporting processes at the federal and sub-national levels.

Case Example Switzerland Accountability and implementation of Switzerland’s sustainable development strategy uses institutional mechanisms for creating both vertical and horizontal coherence, integration and partnerships: i.The Federal Council has supreme political responsibility for Switzerland's sustainability policy ii.The Federal Council givens the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE) the task of coordinating the implementation of a sustainability strategy iii.The Interdepartmental Sustainable Development Committee (ISDC) is headed by ARE. iv.In the Sustainable Development Forum, ARE works closely with cantons and municipalities and promotes sustainability processes at cantonal, regional and local level.

Discussion What types of institutional coordinating mechanisms have you had experience with? What were the successes and failures?

Guidance Step #2 Multi-stakeholder consultative bodies and forums To create partnership and coordination

Guidance Consultative bodies have served as important vertical coordination mechanisms for sustainable development strategies. For guidance on applying multi- stakeholder approaches, including consultative bodies and forums, see Section B2.

Case Example International Labour Organization (ILO) City-to-city South South Cooperation has emerged as an effective way to share knowledge and solutions and contribute to the localization of the sustainable development agenda. The ILO and the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) have signed an agreement to promote bottom-up interventions responding to local needs to create decent jobs and boost local economic and social development. Recent activities have stimulated cooperation between Maputo (Mozambique), Durban (South Africa) and Belo Horizonte (Brazil) in the promotion of safe and health work environments in the informal economy.

Guidance Step #3 Local Agenda 21s and Networks For scaling up action for sustainable development at the local level

The starting point A Local Agenda 21 is a concept for local sustainable development strategies born out of the 1992 Earth Summit. Through continued and increased support of Local Agenda 21 processes, national governments can realize a tremendous mechanism for creating vertical policy coherence.

Case Example Local Agenda 21, Republic of Korea The Republic of Korea was an early adopter and by the year 2000 close to 86% of regional government units had adopted a Local Agenda 21. Fostered in part by the country’s National Action Plan of Agenda 21 through financial and capacity support and the establishment of the Korean Council for Local Agenda 21 made up of local government officers to better co-ordinate the implementation process

Case Example Spain’s Basque Country Udalsarea21 is a network of municipalities in Spain’s Basque country whose mission is to “promote the effective establishment of the Action Plans of the Local Agenda 21 and to integrate sustainability criteria in all the municipal management areas.” In 2000 the vast majority of municipalities had not initiated a local Agenda 21 plan of action; however, by 2010 through effective promotion and networking, 95% of municipalities had approved plans. Cited among the main reasons for the network’s success is “close coordination and alignment of Local Agenda 21 with supra-municipal policies” including the Basque Country’s EcoEuskadi Sustainable Development Strategy 2020 (Udalsarea ).

Discussion Do you know of any Local Agenda 21 initiatives? What opportunities do these examples present for glocalizing the 2030 Agenda?

Guidance Step #4 Monitoring and review at the local level As a means for localizing nationally-adapted SDGs

The starting point The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) cites community indicators as “a vehicle for encouraging civic engagement both through the system’s development process and through action once the indicator system is in place (GAO 2011).” The GAO also noted that such systems “help address community or national challenges by facilitating collaboration of various parties inside and outside of government” and “provide solutions to long-term challenges.” Community indicator systems are created and implemented in myriad ways, including by local government, civil society organizations, or a partnership among both (IISD 2014).

Case Example Winnipeg’s Peg Community Indicators Among the Community Indicators Consortium’s 2014 Impact Award Winners was ‘Peg’, the Canadian city of Winnipeg’s state-of-the-art community indicator information system The award was in recognition of Peg’s unique interactive visual explorer, maps utility and indicator stories (CIC 2014, Peg, 2015).

Guidance Step #5 Impact assessment processes To ensure that nationally and locally-adapted SDGs are taken into consideration in large public and private development projects

The starting point Project level and cumulative impact assessment processes represent opportunities for governments to localize nationally tailored SDGs given their place-based scope of application.

Guidance Impact Assessments go by different names in different jurisdictions: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), Social Impact Assessment (SIA), Regional Impact Assessment (RIA), Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) Criteria used in these assessments could potentially be tailored to test their contribution to the long-term economic, social and environmental goals of national development plans and SDGs..

Discussion Describe the environmental impact assessment process in your country. How might SDGs be incorporated?

Guidance Step #6 Integrated modelling To explore the benefits and impacts of key national policies and programs at sub-national and local levels.

Guidance Integrated modelling approaches of the type described in the module on creating horizontal policy coherence, are also useful for achieving vertical coherence, owing to their ability to explore regionally specific impacts of national strategies and policies.

Institutional coordinating mechanisms Multi-stakeholder consultative bodies and forums Local Agenda 21s and networks Monitoring and review at the local level Impact assessment processes Integrated modelling