ORU held its first executive bureau meeting of 2015 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on the 19th and 20th of March. The Ivory Coast Assembly of Regions and Districts (ARDCI) acted as host of the meeting, chaired by the Basque Country (...)
FAO, UNDP and IOPD, new members of ORU
The executive bureau approved in Abidjan to issue a formal invitation to become members of the organization as observers to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN), UNDP (UN Development Program), and IOPD (The International Observatory on Participatory (...)
The Association of Senegalese Departments replaces the extinct ARS as a member of ORU
The Association of Senegalese Departments (ADS) joins ORU taking the place freed up by the extinct Association of (...)
Relevant publications
The following are suggestions to understand the conceptual dialogue at stake in the post-2015 debates. First of all, we recommend two articles from Markus Loewe, senior researcher at the German Development Institute, on MDGs and SDGs; that is, on the complementarity and compatibility of a rapprochement based on human development vs. the provision of global public goods.
A series of posts by Christopher Swope will help us discover how the SDG 11 has made its way, the “Urban SDG”, to the final proposal of the Open Working Group: which have been its promoters, what partnerships has it had, and what opposition it has overcome. Public choice in real-time. Finally, we suggest a brief study from Paula Lucci, commissioned by UCLG, which offers an excellent opportunity to clarify the terminology on an important and current topic: “localisation” of the development goals, as verification element of its compliance and its adequate distribution on the territory, and perhaps of involvement, participation and empowerment of the regional and local authorities.
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ORU's commitment to Africa
In the last meeting of ORU’s Executive Committee an important boost was given to the organization and I am pleased to state it since I had the honour to represent, in the name of the Basque Country / Euskadi, the president Paúl Carrasco, unable to travel to Ivory Coast. Three continents were present in Abidjan: America, Europe and Africa, with regional representatives fully committed to ORU and its main goals. This was, nevertheless, our most African Bureau, for the outstanding presence of African members and for the extraordinary welcome from the Ivory Coast Assembly of Regions and Districts (ARDCI), but also for the decisions taken there. (...)
Regional reform: beware the boomerang!
A great deal was expected from the territorial reform initiated by the French government a few months back. It was supposed to be a new stage towards greater decentralisation and the result of a will to simplify the levels of power, whose complexity and juxtaposition of responsibilities among municipalities, departments and regions were difficult to understand for the citizens. The debate begun in a paradoxical way. Before dealing with the powers’ issue, the government considered more appropriate to redefine the geography of the regions, eliminating half of them…without even consulting their elected representatives. Monopolised by some ministries and by the parliament, the decisions taken have caused great discontent. There will be 13 metropolitan areas instead of 22. (...)
FAO and UNEP develop a program on sustainable food systems In the framework of the 10 year program on sustainable consumption and production (10 YFP), we present this on-line public consultation, a great opportunity to make the stance and relevant initiatives of the regional governments known. For further information click here.
