Capacity Institution Building Working Group
CIB members aim to adapt to the SDG era
Members of UCLG’s Capacity and Institution Building (CIB) Working Group gathered in eThekwini, South Africa, from 26 to 28 September, to discuss the latest news and developments in the field of international cooperation. Hélène Jourdan, Capacity building & Learning Officer and Africa Liaison from Metropolis took part for the first time to this working group meeting with the aim to learn more about how Local Governments associations are adapting to the SDG’s era but also to meet with the members and stakeholders from the African region.
The CIB Working Group is a technical platform for professionals from worldwide Local Government Associations (LGAs) and individual local governments active in the field of capacity development and local government development cooperation.
This year’s meeting, the first one held in Africa, was hosted by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and by the Municipal Institute for Learning of eThekwini (MILE). It focused on how to implement the adopted international agendas (Agenda 2030, New Urban Agenda) and how to (re)position the Working Group within the revised UCLG structure, among many other topics.
The President of SALGA and the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Councillor Parks Tau opened the workshop with a keynote address and urged the Working Group members to continue the good work to enhance amplified learning and cooperation.
It is a fact that almost all member organizations are trying to adapt to the SDG era, in which a more universal approach to sustainable development is required. Members of the working group discussed how they integrate SDGs in their programming and how to contribute to reporting on the progress made. They agreed on various actions to undertake in the coming year to ensure further involvement of local governments in the implementation and reporting processes.
During the workshop, all participants emphasized that monitoring, evaluation and learning are at the core of the work in development cooperation. Donors, colleagues and the constituencies demand accountability and continuous learning so a draft report on approaches of CIB members was presented after what CIB members shared their challenges and practices.
Different speakers shed a light on the latest trends on development cooperation in the Global South and on the particular needs of local governments and decentralization processes that capacity development programs can contribute to.
For further information about CIB, please visit www.cib-uclg.org