LA-21:
Strengthening Local Government
Project name:
00015057 - Localizing the Millennium Development Goals and
World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) Plan of Implementation
through the Turkey Local Agenda 21 Governance Network
Budget: USD 2,000,000
Timeline: April
2004 - December 2006
What's the situation?
The system of governance in Turkey has traditionally been
highly centralised. Since 1997 UNDP in Turkey has been cooperating
with its national counterparts in the area of local governance
through the Local Agenda 21 Program. The overall objective
of LA-21 program has been to strengthen local governance by
ensuring that civil society participates in decision-making
and influences local investments.
What's our mission?
This project aims at institutionalising LA-21 processes and
mechanisms at the local and national levels through campaigns
and capacity building initiatives. It also aims at launching
a Local Agenda Small Grants Program to promote and substantiate
the Uns Millenium Development Goals and WSSD plan of Implementation
at a local level.
How are we doing
this?
The programme involves a decentralised approach based on networking
and collaboration among equal partners. These include public
institutions, local authorities, and civil society organizations.
The primary decision-making and implementation mechanisms
are the local stakeholders organized mainly in the form of
"City Councils" supported by working groups that
include women and youth councils, and platforms for children,
elderly, and disabled.
Who are our partners?
IULA-EMME
Youth
for Habitat and Agenda 21
How will Turkey benefit?
The primary direct beneficiearies of the project are the members
of the Local Agenda 21 platforms in over 60 cities. This involves
the local authorities as well as a variety of civil society
organisations, academia and private sector. Ultimate beneficiaries
of the project implementation will be the local communities
at large, in particular regarding the involvement of women
and young people in policy making and capacity building.
The Local Agenda 21
Program of Turkey was highlighted as a global "best practice"
during the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in
Johannesburg.
The program has already
triggered social transformation that can accelerate the decentralization
and democratization process in Turkey, as well as the process
of integration with the European Union. Its achievements have
been publicly recognized by Minister of Interior Abdulkadir
Aksu, who described it as the "groundwork for Turkey's
EU Accession process".
The central government
and Local Agenda 21 participants are seeking to incorporate
and strengthen the LA 21 process as part of the "third
pillar" highlighted in the European Commission's October
6 2004 Recommendations on Turkey's Accession.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Mr. Sadun Emrealp
Tel: (90-212) 511 1010
E-mail: iula-emme@la21turkey.net
Mr. Hansin Dogan
Tel: (90-312) 454 1129
E-mail: hansin.dogan@undp.org
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