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City hosts Local Government Symposium on Sustainable Development Goals
25/07/2019
EThekwini’s Municipal Institute of Learning, in partnership with ICLEI Africa and other stakeholders hosted the Local Government SDG Symposium at the Durban International Convention Centre from the 25th  and 26th  July 2019.

The aim of the Symposium was to provide a space to exchange knowledge,  share best practice initiatives, programmes, and projects that have been implemented at the local level.

Over a hundred participants from all spheres of government, civil society, and non-governmental stakeholders participated in the Symposium which seeks to improve awareness and understanding of the SDGs and the Global Sustainability Agenda, and the role of each key stakeholder group in achieving them. 

South Africa is currently ranked 106 of 156 countries on the 2018 SDG index, according to the Sustainable Development Goals Report (2018). According to the report, while people are living better lives than they were a decade ago, progress to ensure that no one is left behind has not been rapid enough to meet the targets of the 2030 agenda. 

The symposium allowed the space for awareness raising around issues and challenges involved in implementation, as well as an exploration of the institutional arrangements, both existing and needed, in order to enhance South Africa’s performance in the global arena. 

Dr Mpilo Ngubane, EThekwini Municipality's Acting Deputy City Manager of Corporate and Human Resources welcomed participants to the Symposium. In his address Dr Ngubane urged participants to help the country to reach out to the wider community and amplify the voice that says "we leave no one behind."

Acting Mayor of EThekwini Municipality, Councillor Fawzia Peer officially opened the Symposium emphasising the importance of achieving SDGs in the country.  She said, "We as eThekwini have aligned our Integrated Development Plan and our Capital Budgets to the Sustainable Development Goal Targets. We have firmly committed to helping to put the Sustainable Development Agenda into practice through advocacy, education and awareness raising and active localization of the SDG goals and targets. Ultimately this agenda is about solidarity and cooperation: it is about how we share our economic and natural resources fairly in a world with a growing population; it paves the way for economic development that leaves no one behind.”

Ms Kobie Brand from ICLEI Africa mentioned that participants can learn a lot for eThekwini Municipality in terms of alignment of the Sustainable Development Goals. Highlighting the need for political buy in and a political champions to advocate for SDGs.
 
“ICLEI Africa together with our partners will be focusing on three main products and solutions to assist local governments in achieving the SDGs i.e.  Localisation framework, SDGs Roadmap and an Alignment tool for SDGs,” said Brand.

Hon. Parks Tau, Deputy Minister, Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG) provided the keynote address during the Symposium.
 
"Local government is a crucial partner to respond to, and address, society’s key pressure points. Local government is central to enabling citizens and communities to climb up the socio-economic ladder of opportunities and services. I must commend eThekwini for their voluntary reporting on SDGs,” said Hon. Parks Tau. 

Day one of the Symposium also featured the official launch of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ICLEI Africa and the Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG).  ​

With informative presentations and discussions the Symposium brought  together  relevant  stakeholders to plan,  strategize,  and  prepare  the  necessary arrangements, at all spheres of government, in order to improve programmes and projects that contribute to the achieving of the global sustainability agenda, both from a localisation and reporting point of view​. 

Participants spent the morning of day two playing an exciting SDGs board game facilitated by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA). MILE as a key learning partner facilitated the World Cafe Session focusing on progress, challenges and vision for contributing to the achievement of the SDGs. 

The Symposium provided the ideal platform for stakeholders to engage​ in facilitated decisions around effective and efficient implementation of SDGs in the coming years. Sessions at the symposium also reflected on South Africa’s progress made to date towards the overarching SDG aim of “Leaving No One Behind.”

​Deputy Minister Hon Park Tau Speech ​

View Event Photo Album

Download Presentations below: 

 

 SDG Symposium 2019

 
TypeUse SHIFT+ENTER to open the menu (new window).
  
NameUse SHIFT+ENTER to open the menu (new window).
  
Day 1- Provincial Perspectives on the Localisation of the SDGs-Cogta.pdf
  
Day 1- UNISA.pdf
  
Day 1.1-Harry Thema-Stats SA.pdf
  
Day 1.2-Dr Kefiloe Masiteng-South Africas VNR and National Coordination Mechanism.pdf
  
Day 1-Root Tech.pdf
  
Day 1-Steve Tshwete Local Municipality.pdf
  
Day 1-WESSA.pdf
  
Day 1-Western Cape.pdf
  
Day 2.1-Dr Sylvia Croese .pdf
  
Day 2.2-Timothy Blatch.pdf
  
Day 2.3-Sandile Mahlaba.pdf
  
Day 2.4-Stats SA .pdf
  
Microsoft and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.pdf
  
SDG Booklet .pdf
  
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