“Civil society organisations, including youth organisations, as well as the private sector, are natural partners of cities and municipalities in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda”, stressed Congress Vice-President and co-rapporteur on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Xavier Cadoret (France, SOC/G/PD) at the meeting of the Environmental and Health Crisis Committee of the INGO Conference, on 24 April 2023, in the framework of its Spring Session.
Referring to the crucial importance of the United Nations Summit on the mid-term review of the Agenda 2030, to take place in New York in September 2023, Vice-President Cadoret highlighted Congress recommendations adopted during its 44th session (21-23 March 2023) on the need to accelerate localisation of SDGs. He recalled the paramount importance of this process given that two thirds of the SDG targets can only be achieved through local and regional action.
He presented two concrete examples of action taken at local level in the Allier Département of France: firstly, the Syndicat mixte des Eaux de l'Allier (joint water management group) - which has made it possible to secure the distribution of drinking water; and secondly, the Plan Climat Allier (climate plan) to support inter-municipalities in the implementation of their Plans climat air énergie territoriaux (PCAET) - a key document for public policies relating to energy, air, and the fight against global warming in general. Xavier Cadoret underlined the coordinated work of the Allier department on this matter, in close collaboration with all stakeholders.
The Congress co-rapporteur stressed that “citizens must remain at the very heart of the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda” and pointed to the importance of having stronger partnerships and constant dialogue and consultation between national governments and all local actors, including civil society and the private sector. He also called for the establishment of such partnerships between local authorities and local actors, in order to successfully localize SDGs. “Civil society has a role to play in this multi-level process”, underlined Vice-President Cadoret.
In the context of SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), he thanked the INGO Conference for its contribution to the ongoing revision of the European Urban Charter, adopted by the Congress in 1992 and revised for the first time in 2008, to take better account of the developments and transformations societies have undergone since that time.
