Urban finance as a game changer for the SDGs
Organized by:
Financing for Development Office/UN-DESA, UNCDF, UCLG
Summary:
The event will include the launch of the book “Financing sustainable urban development in the Least Developed Countries” by the Financing for Development Office/UN-DESA and UNCDF. Through country-specific analysis, new data, and a number of country case studies, the book provides policy makers at the local and national levels with lessons and recommendations to meet the urban finance challenge in LDCs. Furthermore, the event will feature a presentation of the publication “Subnational Governments around the World” of the Global Observatory on Local Finance developed by OECD and UCLG.
Local authorities will be critical in ensuring that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development delivers for the poorest and most vulnerable people on the planet. They are in charge of providing basic and essential public goods and services, investing into critical infrastructure and expanding economic opportunities to an ever-growing number of people. However, local authorities need to be in the position to fulfil these complex tasks. The financing needs at the local level are enormous. Especially in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), local governments do not have sufficient means to match the continuously increasing range of responsibilities and opportunities they face. Thus, improving urban finance is a global development imperative and can be a game changer for the implementation of the SDGs.
The side event will feature an interactive discussion on critical approaches to strengthen urban finance. It will cover policy options in the areas of local revenue generation, public financial management and long-term investment financing; as well as ideas on how to strengthen international cooperation for local finance.
Related information:
- Flyer
- Financing for Development Office: Strengthening municipal finance in LDCs
- UNCDF: Local development finance
- UCLG: Global Observatory on Local Finance
Contact:
Ms. Simona Santoro, simona.santoro@uncdf.org
Mr. Tim Hilger, hilger@un.org