On the way towards the 4th World Forum on Local Economic Development

From 17 to 20 October 2017 the city of Praia (Cape Verde), will host the 4th World Forum on Local Economic Development (World LED Forum). UCLG takes part as organizing partner together with other partner organizations, such us the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), ORU-FOGAR, ILO and FAMSI.
 
Around 1500 participants from 120 countries are expected to take part to the discussions, which will focus on the contributions of Local Economic Development to the implementation of the 2030 Development Agenda, and especially demonstrate the potential of the local economic development model(s) in implementing SDG8 and SDG17. A special focus will be put on addressing inequalities through LED.

A packed agenda for local and regional governments in Praia

The programme of the Forum is structured around 7 axis. UCLG is the coordinator of Axis 6: Inclusive and sustainable urbanisation patterns, which includes the organisation of one Policy Dialogue and 5 panel sessions, covering sub-topics such as informal economy, intermediary and insular cities, circular economy and sustainable financing mechanisms.
 
UCLG further plays an active role in the learning activities on localizing and circular economy games on waste management.
 
[Read the updated programme of the Forum]
 
Furthermore, the Andalusian Fund of Municipalities for International Solidarity (FAMSI), as Chair of the Working Group of Local Economic Development, will coordinate the subtopic on the role of local and regional governments in LED policies for inclusive territories and invites members to join their sessions. The future UCLG Community of Practice on Territorial Governance, Food Transition and Security, will hold an interactive panel on "City-to-City cooperation to the benefit of Local Economic Development and Food Security", coordindated by FAO, on 18th October.

High-Level Participation

The Forum will count with the participation of the President of the Republic of Cabo Verde, the Prime Minister of Cape Verde, as well as Ministers from Ivory Coast, Angola, Mauritania, Bolivia. The UN Under Secretary General for Small Island Developing States will open the Forum.
 
Local leaders delegations will take part to the event, particularly from FAMSI, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, as well participation from the Mayor of Sucre, Chefchaouen, Bamako and the cities of La Paz, Gaziantep, among others.
 
The debates will delve around four main thematic areas:

A) Sustainable urbanisation and local economic development: challenges and opportunities for local and regional governments; 
B) Informal economy, between regularisation and access in transition phases;
C) The potential of circular economies;
D) LED in fragile and conflict-related settings

UCLG LED Working Group and future Committee meeting, 17 October 

UCLG and its Working Group on Local Economic Development, led by the Andalusian Fund of Municipalities for International Solidarity (FAMSI), are co-organisers of the World Forum.
 
Together with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Working Group on LED will convene a half-day meeting on 17 October morning. The meeting will aim at discussing the workplan and agenda towards and after the UCLG World Council December meetings that will approve the UCLG Economic and Social Development Committee, presented in the Executive Bureau meeting in Madrid.
 
For more information: