Localizing the SDGs: Innovative Solutions from Local Governments

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Barcelona Provincial Council organized the event Local Solutions for the SDGs on November 7 and 8, 2024 in Barcelona, ​​Spain. The activity focused on sharing innovative solutions implemented by local and regional governments to materialize the 2030 Agenda, taking advantage of new approaches in public policies, service delivery and community participation.

The 2030 Agenda is becoming a reality thanks to the high commitment of cities, provinces, regions, counties and territories around the world. Local governments lead the implementation of the SDGs at the territorial level, using their objectives and indicators to plan long-term, integrate goals into local policies and budgets, improve the provision of public services and better communicate public actions to citizens.

Central themes of the event:

The event addressed key topics to promote local innovation:

• Innovation in local public policies.
• Creation of livelihoods in cities.
• Financing for local innovation.
• Visualization of innovation in urban environments.
• Effective contracting of public services.

Specific working groups were established for each topic, which met in Barcelona, ​​integrating local decision makers, municipal managers, local government associations and representatives of academia and the private sector. These groups seek to generate concrete ideas and identify emerging trends.

ECLAC in “Cities creating livelihoods”

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), through the Division of Sustainable Development and Human Settlements (DDSAH), participates in the Cities Creating Livelihoods working group. This group brings together experts and professionals to analyze how municipalities are generating opportunities that improve the living conditions of their citizens and how to scale these initiatives to inspire others.

The central question is: How can the municipality, even on a small scale, create opportunities capable of improving the livelihoods of its inhabitants?

Bruno Lana, economic affairs officer of the DDSAH-ECLAC, moderated the panel dedicated to this topic, which included the participation of:

• Roberto Requejo, advisor on Equitable Transportation Oriented Development (ETOD) and member of the Center for Community Investment, Chicago, United States.
• Ashutosh Kulkarni, Municipal Commissioner of Rourkela, India.
• Xavier Garcia Morales, head of the Sports Activities Office of the Sports and Physical Activity Area of ​​the Barcelona Provincial Council.

During the table, initiatives focused on improving living conditions through transportation-oriented development, the empowerment of women through support for small collective businesses, and social inclusion through sports were presented.

Next steps

The results of the working group will be published as a brief and practical illustrated policy guide, intended for municipalities interested in replicating and adapting these experiences.