Connective Cities in collaboration with the programme ‘Municipal Know-how for Host Communities in the Middle East’ has organised a 3-days workshop on the topic of localising sustainable development goals (SDGs). By participating in the workshop, municipal representatives from Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq had the opportunity to:

1. develop their capacities for localising SDGs,
2. engage in peer learning on good practices of aligning local strategic development plans with SDGs,
3. jointly develop pragmatic solutions for overcoming challenges hindering the localisation of SDGs.

The workshop included a field visit to Hazmieh municipality, during which the participants learned about examples and good practices of integrating SDGs in local development strategies including the compost facility, the public healthcare centre, and the smart board for digital municipal services. Within thematic working groups, the participants have developed ideas for potential solutions focusing on:

• Reporting system including monitoring and evaluation, indicator development and data collection.
• Citizens participation and multi-stakeholder engagement strategy

To follow-up on the outcomes of the workshop, the participants will present their progress in developing the identified solutions during a virtual session in July 2023.

Impressions