GOLD Report I - UCLG

CONCLUSION302 United Cities and Local Governmentsare held by women in Eurasia, and Indiahas set aside 30 % of local governmentelected positions for women and scheduledcastes. Cultural issues, in heritage,buildings, and inter-cultural dialog,are areas where cities have shown promiseand have great potential, for examplein city to city exchanges, in culturalunderstanding, and in informal alliancesaround issues of sport and festivals. Newinformation technology holds great promisefor local governments in a variety offields – management, information for citizens,and education to name a few. In allof these areas, the agenda is wide andpromising.VI. Next StepsIn this final conclusion we have attemptedto summarize the main points and findingsof the World Report, while also introducingnew elements and insights that mayenhance reflection. Quite possibly, thestudy does not always provide precise,conclusive answers to the issues and questionsraised in the introduction of theReport regarding the principles of localself-government and subsidiarity.The discussion remains open. Only throughthe sustained practice of running local governmentsand continued interaction with theircitizens and other levels of government willconcrete solutions be found.Therefore, the Report essentially concludeswith a call for initiatives that develop anddeepen local democracy. In effect, theobjective should be to apply these coreprinciples of local self-government, subsidiarityand participation to the praxis, particularlyby:• Underpinning policies favorable todecentralization. The Guidelines on Decentralizationapproved by UN Habitatare important instruments foradvancing in this direction. It is necessaryfor UCLG and local governmentassociations to disseminate this Reportand to encourage the implementation ofthe Guidelines both at national levelsand among international and regionalorganizations, e.g. African Unionthrough the African Conference onDecentralization and Local Development(CADDEL), the Organization ofAmerican States (OAS) and its Inter-American High Level Network on Decentralization(RIAD).• Strengthening policy-making capacitiesof local government. In effect, UCLG,through the Global Observatory onLocal Democracy and Decentralization(GOLD), should develop indicators,recognized by national and internationalinstitutions, to monitor processes ofdecentralization and the implementationof the Guidelines; and contribute tolocal capacity for policy dialog vis-à-visnational governments and internationalorganizations. These indicators shouldbe used to shape and inform local developmentpolicies and national strategiesfor poverty reduction.• Enhancing local finance systems. Localaccess to adequate funding is key todevelopment. In view of the fiscalweaknesses observed at local level,UCLG should continue to promote proposalsand initiatives to strengthenlocal finances and to draw up plans, inconsultation with governments and regionaland international financial institutions,for new national systems in orderto keep pace with urban explosion, growingdemands for basic services andmounting environmental challenges.This list of initiatives could, without adoubt, be extended further to includeequally as important initiatives such aslocal government capacity building, upgradingservice provision and urban policy forsustainable development.Local governments have an integral role toplay in the international development