Cooperation

The future of development cooperation in and after the COVID-19 era

"Listening to these conversations, I felt we share many common values between local and regional governments and their associations (implementers of development cooperation programmes) and donors. The needs of our partners have changed, the instruments of cooperation have changed. We need to see this as a joint responsibility to adapt to new realities in order to contribute to building back better.”

“It has never been more important to be aligned and cooperative in order to deliver effective programmes. This pandemic has shown us that it is crucial to collaborate not just among local governments, but between spheres of government, to come together, engage in dialogues and in meaningful development work.”

“The effectiveness of the response to COVID-19 is directly proportional to its localization and contextualization.”

Play Video

Re-live the Cities are Listening Experience

Background

Up to 250 million people could suffer from extreme hunger and food stress because of the COVID-19 related sanitary and economic crisis. The shutdowns have affected the millions of people dependent on the informal sector and are pushing children into child labour. In this context, poorer countries or vulnerable states might encounter increased difficulties to control the spread of the disease on their own or mitigate the economic consequences of the crisis. Beyond this, every country and city is needed in order to implement creative solutions and can learn from the others.

In this light, international solidarity and cooperation are more important than ever before. They stand central in the UCLG Decalogue for the post-COVID-19 era that considers cooperation as a key player in local service provision, equality, governance, the renewal of the multilateral system and in the recovery of the pandemic.

The Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (December 2011) highlights several of the key components of successful sustainable development: sustainable growth, democracy and good governance, anti-poverty strategies, social protection, climate change, risk reduction, individual and collective security, culture and human rights. In most of them, local and regional governments can do significant improvements.

Aware of that key role, UCLG has become a learning network, fostering local and regional government’s capacities to engage in decentralized cooperation in partner countries (both South-South and triangular). In 2013, UCLG developed a policy paper on development cooperation and local governments, which called on the need for full recognition of local governments as development partners in international development cooperation. It emphasizes the role of local government cooperation as an effective means to build local government capacity.

250

million people could suffer from extreme hunger and food stress as a result of the COVID-19 crisis

4.3%

less hours worked in 2021 than in pre-pandemic level

Challenges

Inequalities are growing in a context of crisis: the global distribution of COVID-19 mortality is positively correlated with national income per capita.
Billions of people face the worst jobs crisis in more than 90 years. The pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities in the labour market.
In this context, protection policy responses are needed. Better access to finance by cities and local government is a key factor to reduce the pressure vulnerable communities face. There is a need for a diversified model of funding, with new sources, that ensure a strengthened budget for development cooperation.
The urban poor need to be seen as equal partners in cities development to curb inequalities. Far from the model of vertical cooperation, a human and empowering scheme is essential to overcome structural inequalities.

Learn more about the challenges being faced by cities and regions

Responses

Decentralised cooperation has shown that it works in both senses: North-South, but also South-North. Local collectives, traditionally receptors of help, activated mechanisms to send emotional support to European peers during the crises, but also medical material, such as masks and gloves.
The creation of an enabling environment for women’s participation and leadership has been proved to effectively tackle gender inequalities.
The restrictions on traveling have made it possible to allocate more economic resources to materials and local activities in the communities receiving help. This has empowered much more beneficiary communities.

Learn more about other responses and initiatives in terms of Migration:

Towards the Pact

More research helps to identify timely the needs of the communities. The undertaking of a requirements assessment is strongly recommended.
Participant stakeholders committed to continuing to engage in the CitiesAreListening Dialogues and building on the outcomes of the #CitiesAreListening Experience. UCLG is set to renew its paper on development cooperation, originally published in 2013. The #CitiesAreListening Experience on Development Cooperation is a key milestone to kick-start the conversation around development and decentralized cooperation.
The protection of the commons is relevant and urgent, both at the local and global level, even if the reasons behind cooperation and the prioritization of needs change, and this is something to be considered as the conversations gear towards the recovery and societies address what new priorities need to be considered when discussing cooperation.

Resources

#CitiesAreListening Experience brings together all spheres of government and the international donor community to address the future of development cooperation in and after the COVID era

For further information on the topic of Public Service Delivery and its impact on cities and regions, please refer to the related resources included below.