undp- daect partnership 2013 report

UNDP DAECT PARTNERSHIP 2013-2015

2013 REPORT

I. Introduction and context The ART Initiative Launched in 2005 and currently active in over 20 countries, the UNDP ART Global Initiative (Articulation of Territorial Networks for Sustainable Human Development) is an entry point for all decentralised cooperation actors interested in harmonising their respective actions in support of national and sub national policies for sustainable and local human development. Within an evolving development landscape ART capitalises on the complementarities of actors at the local level and puts in place multi-level governance systems for sustainable human development. It does so by promoting a programmatic, operational and administrative framework for coordination and institution building in its partner countries, i.e. ART Framework Programmes. ART’s objective is to enhance the capacities of national and local institutions and actors working in a complementary way at the local level, thereby achieving the Millennium Development Goals and attaining inclusive, resilient and sustainable development.

The innovative modality promoted by UNDP ART is based on a multi-actor and multi sector approach, where the plurality of actors of a given territory – local authorities, CSOs, academia, the private sector, traditionally excluded groups - work jointly to define priorities, plan and implement sustainable human development strategies at local level. Taking the territory as the referential space for development efforts also allows greater coherence among those development actors operating in the same space, instead of each actor working in his sector. Development interventions are thus channelled in support of integrated territorial plans, reducing fragmentation and the overlap between programmes while increasing the impact and sustainability of efforts in support of sustainable human development.

Gregoire Joyeux, January 2014, contact: [email protected] 2

Decentralized Cooperation Decentralized development cooperation is gaining rapid recognition as a means to establish and further decentralized governance, promote local and national development as well as consolidate stable ‘North-South', 'South-South' and ‘Triangular’ partnerships. UNDP recognized the key strategic role of DC in the international cooperation arena, and in 2005 designed the ART Initiative as the entry point for those DC actors wishing to harmonize their actions in support of national and local development policies.

ART’s position in the emerging new global development architecture has broadened UNDP’s partner base and enabled the organization to lead an important dialogue with sub national governments as crucial political and development actors. In return, UNDP has come to be perceived by DC actors as a key partner that contributes to better position and raise the role of sub-national/decentralized cooperation actors/networks in the international cooperation agenda. The number of DC partners working together through UNDP has constantly increased since the ART Initiative was established. ART then became a means to the organization to engage with new development actors and mobilize financial and technical resources for quality and policy relevant activities at local, national and global level.

Currently, over 600 DC partners (ranging from regional and local governments, associations, Universities, CSOs, NGOs, foundations and private sector companies) work in a coordinated and complementary manner through ART Framework Programmes. This growing engagement of a large number of regional and local governments and stakeholders with UNDP is an expression of the relevance DC partners are attaching to working along and as part of a multilateral institutional framework for sustainable development.

The ART Initiative has become a valuable UNDP instrument to further the principles of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness by implementing them at the local level. This has been achieved through the harmonization of development actors and their alignment to local and national strategies, thereby promoting development effectiveness, reducing fragmentation and duplication, and decreasing the cost of aid. During the UN DESA Development Cooperation Forum on decentralized Cooperation 2012 in NY, evidence provided by the representatives from national and local governments, civil society and the private sector and the UN system clearly demonstrated that there is a mutual reinforcing role between DC actors and the multilateral system. Both do bring distinct features and strengths at the table; but ones DC actors articulate themselves through joint multilateral frameworks impact of their efforts is considerably increased.


I. Objectives of the partnership ART and LED UNDP’s work in Local Governance and Local Development is guided by the principle that local governance is a key mechanism for inclusive representation and participation, shaping effective and legitimate state–society relationships, poverty reduction, and economic development, reducing inequality, strengthening social cohesion and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

In support of robust, representative, inclusive and responsive local governance arrangements, UNDP focuses inter alia on strengthening local governance systems for addressing key challenges such as environmental sustainability and Local Economic Development (LED). The UNDP ART Initiative promotes, in cooperation with its partners such as ILSLEDA and EURADA, an integrated territorial approach to human development including the economic, social and environmental components of sustainable development. The territorial approach to LED fosters inclusive and participatory dynamics among public, private and civil stakeholders in the formulation of LED strategies, the definition of local priorities, the competitive appraisal of endogenous potentialities and the organization of the services required. The promoted LED processes also strengthen the linkages between decentralization and LED by reinforcing local-national governance dynamics, with a pivotal role of the intermediate level in linking local and national development processes.

At the core of this approach are the territorial development agencies, namely Local Economic Development Agencies (LEDAs) and Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), which promote integrated approaches to territorial development combining physical, social, economic, and environmental interventions. These instruments are part of a multi-tier governance system for promoting LED under the leadership of local governments and in cooperation with the private sector, the civil society and international cooperation partners.

At the same time ART stimulates international dialogue and policy formulation within the field of LED, for example through the First World Forum on Local Development Agencies: “Territory, Economy and Local Governance: New Perspectives for Changing Times” that took place in Seville in October 2011. During the three-day Forum, more than 1,200 participants coming from 47 different countries and more than 100 speakers gathered around different plenary sessions, roundtables and 8 theme-specific workshops. The forum was a stepping-stone in sharing perspectives and concrete experiences in Local Economic Development (LED), with specific emphasis on instruments for LED and job creation, notably Local Economic Development Agencies.


ART and French Decentralised Cooperation France undoubtedly has a long tradition and experience with engaging in decentralised development cooperation of the European Union Member States. It has a high degree of participation by local and regional governments, both at the technical and political level, and there is a close relationship with the national government and the French Development Agency (AFD). A legal framework for the external action of municipalities was put in place in 1992 and refined in 2007. Decentralised cooperation has become an integral part of the French foreign development cooperation policy. Local and regional governments are allowed to develop cooperation relations of any kind with foreign partners and decentralised cooperation is promoted and supported through calls for proposals, as long as they respect the international commitments and priorities of the national government.

According to the Atlas on French DC, some 4806 French sub-national governments have links with

partners in developing countries; the majority in Francophone countries. The main themes of interventions are urban strategic planning, water, waste and sanitation, economic development, environment and youth.

The French Decentralised Cooperation system is changing from more traditional north – south development aid towards strategic cooperation and exchange of experiences between equal partners. That also applies for the area of LED, which gains more and more importance within this new system of reciprocal exchanging knowledge. It is generally agreed upon that in order to further promote a meaningful decentralised economic cooperation strong efforts are needed to coordinate and harmonise actors as well as align them towards national and local priorities in partner countries.

ART initiative is already engaged in an outstanding development cooperation partnership aiming at harnessing the potential of Information and Communication Technologies for local development. The ISI@MED Initiative is a joint initiative by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Centre for Mediterranean Integration (CMI), with the support of the City of Malaga, the City of Marseille and DAECT, (French Delegation for the External Action of Local Authorities), French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Besides ISIMED, numerous French DC actors have already made use of the multilateral framework proposed by the ART Initiative in a number of ART partner countries, e.g. Senegal, Morocco, Lebanon, etc. UNDP DAECT partnership aim at promoting development cooperation effectiveness and integrative development approaches at the sub-national level by facilitating harmonization and alignment of the development cooperation partners’ initiatives.

More specifically the partnership objective consists to stimulate and facilitate the articulation of French DC actors within the UNDP ART Initiative for improved development impact based on the mutual reinforcing role of both, Decentralized Cooperation actors and the multilateral system. Specific task of the partnership is the coordination and liaison with DAECT. A special emphasize being put on stimulating the cooperation on LED.


II. Specific outputs, activities and deliverables

1. Facilitate and promote the articulation of French decentralized cooperation actors within the ART initiative and its country framework programs

Deliverables:

a) Promote the added value of decentralized cooperation actors working within a multilateral framework

b) Organize workshops with French decentralization actors to promote the ART Initiative as entry point to work with the multilateral sector

Delivered:

Call for proposals (2013-2015) co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs A joint call for proposals between UNDP ART Initiative and DAECT was successfully launched in July in order to promote dialogue between the territories as an innovative approach to development cooperation and to contribute to the alignment and harmonization of French cooperation actors and articulated in the context of UNDP ART program. The countries among which this call of proposals applies are: Palestine, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Senegal, Cameroon, Gabon, Bolivia, and Myanmar among others.


To date, two projects have already been selected by DAECT and UNDP: 1. City of Marseille – Tripoli, Al Fayhaa, Lebanon The project is expected to contribute to the modernization and improved efficiency of Tripoli municipality, the second largest city in Lebanon with a total population of 250.000. Some streets in Tripoli have been given completely new names by the local community. This can be confusing for visitors and especially tourists, who find difficult to match the names commonly used in the past with the new official names of streets. As part of the project, the municipality will implement flash tags signs showing, in addition to the official street name and street number, additional information in line with cultural heritage (buildings and historical sites. 2. Champagne Ardenne Region / Oriental Region, Morocco Following a long cooperation process the project consists in expanding our on-going work on tourism, heritage, local crafts and products to create a comprehensive database of regional attractiveness, essentially, produce the content for the web portal. One important objective of our project is to complement tourism services by offering visitors an opportunity to explore the landscapes and rural heritage of northern Morocco. This work is necessary to complement the massive resort project now taking shape in the town of Saïdia where the government of Morocco is financing the development of 20,000 hotel rooms and a vast seaside tourism destination. Experts from Champagne-Ardenne are already working on itineraries and lodging alternatives that will help integrate such development into the local fabric.

These two projects each other in demonstrating why ICTs matter in local administration and how these kinds of projects influence the way local decision makers formulate their local development plan. Currently we have received positive feedback from several French local authorities willing to start a project in 2014 through UNDP DAECT call for proposals. It is thus expected to support at least one project per targeted country by the end of the year 2014.


2. Facilitate and promote the harmonization and alignment of the French decentralized cooperation actors activities with the local/national LED strategies and priorities

Deliverables:

c) Organize workshops to better harness the LED potential of French DC actors and promote joint approaches with other interested partners within the ART’s network of partners

d) Promote the participation of French DC actors in ART framework programmes specifically within programmes with a strong LED component Delivered: DAECT and UNDP coordinate a global events calendar to make an important contribution to local development processes, exchange of knowledge and experience feedback in a spirit of mutual recognition and mutual learning results. In this respect various agencies involved in the UNDP call for proposals took part in a considerable number of events throughout the year in France and abroad. Rabat (UCGL Summit 1-4 October 2013): During the world conference many contacts and exchanges with cooperation actors and UNDP representatives from Morocco, USA, Geneva, on the Pavilion France allowed promoting UNDP/DAECT partnership as well as bolstering call for proposals launched 1st of July this year. Decentralized cooperation between Region Champagne Ardenne and Region de l’Oriental in Morocco, supported by UNDP and DAECT, is acknowledged and evaluated positively by the Moroccan authorities. France Balkans conference (Tirana 24-25 October 2013): The significant participation of 21 French authorities, representatives of local authorities in the Balkan region, as well as European Delegation and UNDP Albania, discussed and shared knowledge on the value added of decentralized cooperation in local development and the EU integration process. CG Nord pas de Calais / ANVPAH and SICALA working already on developing existing and new decentralized cooperation with Albanian local authorities.


The UN Resident Coordinator & UNDP Resident Representative Mrs Zineb Touimi-Benjelloun and Mr Vladimir Malkaj, UNDP Albania Programme Officer participation has been an opportunity to emphasize the role of local authorities in the development process and the role of UNDP ART programme in facilitating successful decentralized cooperation initiatives. Meeting with Municipality and Regional council of Flora emphasized the important role of the Local Economic Development Agency (AULEDA) in coordinating cooperation in the Vlora region. Some exemplary results achieved by AULEDA channelling local, national and international resources such as availability of a fund for facilitating credit access for small business have been presented and discussed. Mediterranean Economic Week (Marseille 6-9 November 2013): Over 3000 participants from the three shores of the Mediterranean Sea took part in the 7th edition of the Mediterranean Economic Week in Marseille. Over four days, more than thirty events were organized, among which “Culture and Cooperation” workshop organised by DAECT with the participation of Francesco Bicciato, Art Programme Advisor, UNDP Brusells. Debates focused on the role of culture as a driving force for economic development in the Mediterranean region. In this regard the role of creative/cultural cooperation as a source for job creation and economic growth acquires a growing importance. DUNKIRK+10 Forum of European Local Authorities for Palestine (Dunkirk 28-29 November 2013) The forum was the occasion to analyze, reinforce and share European experiences of decentralized cooperation initiatives with Palestinian local authorities. Meeting in presence of M. Mohammad Abed Jalayta, Mayor of Jericho, and Frode Mauring, UNDP Palestine Special Representative of the Administrator was the suitable time to discuss the launch of the partner cities platform for Jericho, led by Conseil Général de l’Isère. The meeting was an opportunity to consolidate the alliance with this platform of cities for Jericho and position UNDP cooperation within the ART framework programme in Palestine. It was agreed by all participants there is a significant potential to establish new partnerships, identify initiatives and facilitate multilateral and decentralized cooperation agreements between the participants.


3. Facilitate and promote the participation of French decentralised cooperation partners to the international agenda

Deliverables: e) Organize and facilitate the active participation of French DC actors within the II world forum on LED to be held in Brazil (and similar other events) Delivered:

LED falls under the umbrella of the broader concept of ‘human development’, now a priority in the UNDP and the MFA agenda. By combining local economic growth and sustainable development, local economic development builds the way towards poverty eradication, equity and justice. The mean to achieve this outcome is to put local governments at the center of decision-making processes, while keeping decentralization as a major condition to uphold local responses to universal and global challenges. Through its territorial approach, regional and provincial structures offer a consistent path to reach participatory development by matching national policies with local priorities.

II World Forum of Local Economic Development (Foz de Iguacu, Brazil 28-31 October 2013) The Forum offered an opportunity to all French development actors to renew the development architecture and to go beyond the traditional North South approach, that is useful not only for South countries, but also for economically more developed countries, in a South-North-South cooperation framework. DAECT Deputy Delegate Martine Zejgman took part at the panel on Culture and Heritage and LED and presented the partnership between DAECT&UNDP/ART through the facilitation of decentralized cooperation between French authorities and ART Framework programs. It is worth stressing the participation of relevant bilateral cooperation partners in the Forum, in particular the French Agency for Development (AFD), and, the Sorbonne University that marked the French position in this important forum. Preparation of the special side-event for 7th session of post 2015 Open Working Group Sustainable cities and human settlements (8th January 2014, New York) Representing the strong position that intermediate governments are nowadays playing in development, the participation of the Association des Régions de France (ARF) responds at the same time to the increasing importance of Local Economic Development (LED) as a key area of work among French decentralized cooperation partners. President of Region Champagne Ardenne, Jean Paul BACHY, officially confirmed interest to be closely involved in the OWG. President’s contribution to this special side-event gives a real opportunity to explore based on practical experience, key areas where government leaders, external stakeholders such as civil society organizations, the private sector and businesses, academia and scientists can best collaborate taking into consideration the potential of local economic development. In this regards, President Jean Paul BACHY contribution calls for greater recognition of the role of Regional authorities in the UN system.


4. Coordinate with CMI the implementation of the 2013 work plan CMI and ART have agreed on Deliverables f) formulate the operational plan and coordinate the development of a guidebook: g) networking Delivered Created in 2009, two years ahead of the Arab Spring, with the idea of stimulating knowledge-driven development processes throughout the Mediterranean region, the Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) promotes national economic, social, and environmental transformation within the context of regional integration. As a collaborative platform for sharing knowledge, the CMI promotes regional convergence and consensus on reform in a context of partnership in the face of the current global crisis. ART-ISI@MED (Information Society Initiative for the Mediterranean) In December 2010, UNDP and CMI held the first workshop of the ART-ISI@MED Initiative in Marseille during the Mediterranean Economic Week. As part of its support of the French decentralized cooperation and its willingness to provide specific support to the French authorities wishing to develop ISI @ MED project, DAECT and UNDP launched a joint call proposals in 2011. The outcomes of their discussions and exchanges in line with the projects supported within the joint call framework were the basis of the ART-ISI@MED Handbook release end of 2012 under the guidance and supervision of Najat Rochdi of UNDP Geneva and with the overall day-to-day coordination provided by Najet Tenoutit, Programme Coordinator at CMI in Marseille supported by Kelly Papadaki, ART- ISI@MED Programme Officer at UNDP Geneva as well.

Joint publication by UNDP and CMI with the support of DAECT

The appointment of a new director at CMI in September 2013, and the complete renewal of the team representatives in charge of the project at UNDP and CMI had not enabled the objectives which the UNDP DAECT pursues to be achieved, particularly as regards to implementation of an action plan between UNDP ART and CMI. The degree of involvement or the associated roles and responsibilities have yet to be defined.


III. Conclusion In 2014 UNDP will roll out its new integrated Local Governance and Local Development Strategy, which is based upon the recently approved new Strategic Plan of UNDP for 2014 to 2017. The strategy establishes a close link between local governance and local development, and the concept of sustainable human development: ensuring an enabling environment at the local level for the three strands of sustainable human development (the social, the economic and the environmental) to come together. While recognizing Local Authorities (Las) as key actors for promoting Local Governance (LG) and Local Development (LD), the strategy also proposes the cross-sector territorial approach and multilevel governance systems as the basis for a successful promotion of sustainable human development at the local level. The new integrated strategy for LGLD will be a possibility for DAECT and UNDP to further enhance their strategic partnership. UNDP, through the ART Initiative as the entry point for Decentralised Cooperation partners, and DAECT will be in a position to orient DC actors towards countries where pilots of the LGLD strategy are implemented, thereby considerably furthering harmonisation and alignment and ultimately enhance the development impact of both, DC actors and UNDP. Decentralized cooperation represents a new logic of action, a genuine opportunity to combine the efforts of various players (local and regional authorities and their groupings, national elected officials’ associations, regional and thematic networks, expert groups, by projecting a coherent and consistent international cooperation development plan for local and regional authorities. Its objective is to appraise the strategic role of local administrations, regions ant the territories social and economic actors in issues of decentralization, territorial development governance, service management MDG achievement and sustainable development. UNDP DAECT partnership, is in line with the new orientation and strategy for French decentralized cooperation defined in the report of Mr. André LAIGNEL (January 2013). The aim of the proposal n°5 in particular is to improve coordination and enhance complementarity at the international level with the United Nations. It means an important step towards increased coordination and harmonization of the international development community, and enhances the efficiency of aid. It favors harmonization in the field between different actors. Moreover, it facilitates the creation of local platforms, working groups, and promotes a multilevel articulation and a multi-sectorial approach in sectors such as governance, information technology as well as local economic development. Also, it clearly highlights the need for holistic urban rural development approaches for delivering sustainability and asking for interventions at multiple scales, i.e. national, regional and local, with the city regions as geographical key to implementing solutions beyond administrative boundaries. UNDP DAECT partnership call for a territorial development approach that fosters two-way link across urban rural continuum and creates economic opportunities and enhanced quality of life in rural areas. The successful reconciliation between UNDP and all stakeholders of the French decentralized cooperation, the relationship between the local, national dimension, and thus becomes an important cornerstone in promoting democratic decentralization and good governance. Finally UNDP DAECT partnership facilitates communication and enriches the existing body of information, with high level of technical input on the ground. It gives also more visibility to the many local initiatives that contribute to the development.

undp- daect partnership 2013 report

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