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The localisation of the SDGs and the implementation of the New Urban Agenda can be achieved only with and in the cities: The strengthening of their capacities on the individual and organizational level therefore is crucial.
The open and interactive event at the German Pavilion „Capacity building for the implementation of the NUA: municipal partnerships and practitioner networks“, organized and animated by Connective Cities and the SKEW/Engagement Global was geared towards urban practitioners. The goal of the event was to emphasize the importance of capacity building for the implementation of the NUA and to show two concrete ways to achieve it: Thematic partnerships and experts’ networks.
In his welcome address, Mr Franz Marré (Head of Division „Water, Urban Development, Mobility; German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development“) mentioned that learning is not a one-way-process, but is based on the exchange of knowhow between equals. Furthermore, not only success stories are an added value: challenges and failures, too, can contribute to generating lessons learnt.
One way to enhance the exchange of knowhow is the municipal climate partnership project. It focusses on the technical cooperation on climate adaptation and mitigation in order to enhance local capacities. Another approach is the exchange of expertise and practical solutions in multilateral communities of practice, such as the international platform Connective Cities. In both cases, the fundament for cooperation and exchange of experience between cities are practical solutions and a horizontal peer-to-peer approach. On a practical level there are successful examples for both approaches – partnership projects and experts’ networks:
Mr Stefan Wagner (Bonn, Germany) presented the long-standing town twinning between La Paz (Bolivia) and Bonn (Germany). This partnership was complemented by the climate-partnership that started in 2012 and allowed for the development of a common climate protection action plan.
Experts’ networks do not only enhance the individual capacities of participating municipal practitioners, but allow for the transfer of innovative solutions and the implementation of project ideas, too. Networks can both come in the form of international networks, as in the case of urban mobility, presented by Mr Jan Rickmeyer (GIZ), and in the form of national networks within a given country. Mr Wicak Sarosa (Ruang-Waktu Knowledge-Hub, Indonesia) presented the case of six Indonesian cities which connected for mutual learning about slum upgrading, water, sanitation and urban development.
[Translate to English:]
Programme
Welcome Remarks & Introduction
Benjamin Jeromin, Connective Cities, SKEW / Engagement Global, Bonn
1) Municipal Partnerships
Climate Partnership Bonn-La Paz
Mr Stefan Wagner, Head of department, International Affairs and global sustainability, City of Bonn, Germany
2) Urban Practitioners’ Networks
Indonesia Perspective on NUA: Partnership in Urban Development
Mr Wicaksono Sarosa, PhD, Executive Director, Ruang-Waktu Knowledge-Hub for Sustainable [Urban] Development, Indonesia
Mr Jan Rickmeyer, GIZ Sustainable Urban Transport Project, formerly City of Leipzig, Germany
