GOLD Report I - UCLG

281CONCLUSIONDecentralization and DemocracyA Global Perspective in 2007Tim CampbellThe purpose of the First World Report onDecentralization and Local Democracy– and of this overview – is neither normativenor prescriptive 1 . Rather, the aim is toprovide a balanced view of the state ofdecentralization and local democracy inthe world.The opening section of these conclusionsprovides an overview of trends. The sectionalso frames the major issues –thepolicy objectives and component issues–that virtually all states must engage toachieve decentralized democracy, notingoutstanding areas of progress as well asareas of concern. The succeeding sectionthen reviews each of six central policyissues, analyzed from the perspective oftheir contribution to decentralized democracy.Next, are emerging sets of globalissues, selected Millennium DevelopmentGoals – climate change, land use, health,and gender – are directly relevant to localgovernments and will require more attentionin the future. Another emerging issue,though not an MDG, concerns metropolitangovernance. Suggestions for next steps toaddress the state of inter-governmentalrelations and democracy are included inthe closing section.Though the regional reports provide a centralsource of information for this synthesis,additional perspectives are brought infrom a variety of local, national, independent,and supra-national organizations. Inaddition, recent research from a samplingof academic literature complement andround out the discussion.I. The Many Faces ofDecentralization and DemocracyThe nations covered in this report presenta wide variety of experiences, most ofthem leading toward decentralized governancein some form. The fact that so manystates have chosen to move along the pathof decentralization constitutes a remarkablephenomenon, the impetus for whichmust connect with deep underlying structuralfactors felt around the globe.Among the more frequently mentioned driversof change are the exhaustion of thecentral state model after the collapse ofthe Soviet Union and the realization that anew departure towards state developmentwas required, one that relied on a broaderbasedpyramid of legitimacy and state presence.Meanwhile in Europe, the process ofregionalization was encouraged by theEuropean Union and many countries wereconfronting the emergence of regionalistdemands (Spain, Italy, Scotland, and NorthernIreland). At virtually the same time,and for similar reasons, the spread ofdemocracy was a palpable form of reconnectingcitizens and governments, andmany actors and grass roots movementspushed for deeper democratization in the1. The author wishes toacknowledge theextensive and detailedcontributions of theWorld Secretariat ofUCLG to thepreparation of thisreport. The presentanalysis draws fromregional chapters fromtime to time.Reference is made tothe respective chapterwhenever necessary.