ORU reiterates its commitment to the Busan agreements 

While the president of ORU participated in the opening of the First High-Level Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation celebrated in Mexico, last April 2014, Carles Llorens, Secretary-General of ORU, participated in the plenary session “Progress since Busan and inclusive development”. The secretary-general, who shared the stand with the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid,  Andris Piebalgs, recalled the 2010 Busan Summit, in which the international bodies, with the wish to be inclusive, recognized for the first time the role of local and regional cooperation.  “For us –he explained- this was an extremely important achievement. Not everyone acknowledges that recognition. Be believe it’s a big mistake, because development either takes place in the territory or it’s an abstract entelechy which, to be deployed in the territory, needs the local and regional authorities”.

With a view to enhance the role of local and regional governments in the fulfilment of the Busan agreement, the United Regions Organisation and UCLG, through national dialogue, committed to support development with a set of national help pilot schemes aimed initially at 10 countries during 2016. In 2018 it is expected to expand this project to 25/30 more countries.

The High Level Meeting in Mexico, overall,  analysed how the Busan principles have had an impact on the territory and how this impact have been translated into behavioural changes. It was concluded that progress has been made in some areas, but that in the future it is necessary to go from discourse to action.

Click here to view the full report