World Urban Forum: Localizing Global Agendas: Nordic Capacity Building Platform

WUF9 2018 networking event
Local Implementation of Global Agendas – Nordic Capacity Building Platform
Saturday 10 February from 9:00-11:00
Room 410, Kuala Lumpur Convention Center
Organiser: Global Utmaning
Partners: Finnish Ministry of the Environment, IFHP, Mistra Urban Futures, SALAR, SDI, Symbiocity Kenya, UCLG

The event will highlight how a Nordic knowledge bank of good practices and working models can provide support to cities around the world in the local implementation of the SDGs.

Rapid urbanization will necessitate new city structures, corresponding to the totality of what have been built throughout the history of mankind. Cities will therefore be central to both combating climate change and eradicating poverty. Whilst the consequences of urbanization are undisputed, the understanding that a majority of the SDGs will need local implementation is rather recent. SDG11 should increasingly be understood as a policy oriented goal and can together with the New Urban Agenda provide detailed guidelines and an implementation oriented path towards fulfilling many of the other SDGs and global agendas. Local implementation is key to achieving the global agendas, that is municipalities, local government, authorities and all relevant stakeholders will have to become the implementing parties. However, they will need the capacity to do so, but often lack the know-how. A comprehensive response would therefore facilitate the local implementation of the global agendas.

The Nordic countries could particularly contribute by in a structured manner share globally, what is done on a local, national and regional level. Particularly important is that a capacity building platform functions as an umbrella for existing initiatives and institutions. A platform for a Nordic knowledge bank of good practices and working models is now being developed, which can provide support to other cities. Among the lessons learned are, besides decentralisation and local financing, a more difficultly grasped “Nordic governance model”. It is characterised by a multi-stakeholder approach, horizontal management, bridging sectors and levels, thematic synergies and long-termism. Examples of manifestation are strong human rights, equality perspectives and feminist urban planning.

Throughout the event various initiatives will show how to provide know-how and accompanying local actors in the formulation of roadmaps to support implementation of global agendas. Central is to show how various actors can build capacity through training, implementation support and advice to other cities.

Programme:

9:00 – Introduction: A Nordic Capacity Building Platform pilot
Elin Andersdotter Fabre – Global Utmaning (moderator)

9:15 – Keynote: Good practice exchange for capacity building Dato’ Maimunah Mohd Sharif – Executive Director, UN-Habitat, former Mayor City of Penang (tbc)

9:30 – Panel 1: Nordic experiences
Olli Maijala – Finnish Ministry of the Environment
Carola Gunnarsson – Mayor of Sala, SALAR, CEMR
Rebecca Rubin – White Arkitekter

10:00 – Panel 2: Global exchange
Sarah Nandudu – Slum Dwellers International
Nicodemus Mbwika – Kenya SymbioCity
Celine D’Cruz (tbc)

10:30 – Conclusion
Raf Tuts – UN-Habitat

10:40 – Networking coffee
11:00 – End of programme

Link to official WUF9 programme: http://wuf9.org/programme/networking-events/local-implementation-of-global-agendas-nordic-capacity-building-platform/

Link to first phase of capacity building platform – an interactive map of good practices on the local implementation of SDGs:
https://www.globalutmaning.se/interactive-map/