Women in Politics

In short, this study provides a global overview of the situation concerning the participation and representation of women in politics in Europe from the firm standpoint that gender equality in decision-making is a right, but also a highly political issue, essential to the positive advancement of our democracies. Good governance can only arise from just and healthy decisions taken by women and men together for the good of society as a whole.

While some progress has been made over the last ten years, women are still under-represented and the situation in local and regional government is of particular concern. In Europe today, only 15.4% of mayors are women.

The average proportion of women in local councils remains stuck below 30% (28.9%) and is only slightly higher in regional assemblies (30.9%). At this rate, how many years will it take before a 50–50 gender balance is reached among women and men in politics?

The Future is Now: Science for Achieving Sustainable Development,

In 2016, Member States decided that the report should be produced once every four years, to inform the quadrennial SDG review deliberations at the General Assembly, and that it should be written by an Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the Secretary-General. They mandated that the Group would consist of 15 experts representing a variety of backgrounds, scientific disciplines and institutions, ensuring geographical and gender balance.
The Future is Now: Science for Achieving Sustainable Development, is the first Global Sustainable Development Report prepared by the Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General. It does not produce new evidence; rather it capitalizes on existing knowledge across disciplines, through an “assessment of assessments”. It highlights state-of-the-art knowledge for transformations towards sustainable development and identifies concrete areas where rapid, transformational change is possible. The Report is not only a product but also a process for advancing collaboration among actors in science, Government, the private sector and civil society in all regions of the world towards identifying and realizing concrete pathways for transformation driven by evidence.

Adapt Now: A Global Call for Leadership on Climate Resilience

The report puts forward a bold vision for how to transform key economics systems, making them more resilient and productive. The Commission finds that climate adaptation can produce significant economic returns: the overall rate of return on investments in improved resilience is high, with benefit-cost ratios ranging from 2:1 to 10:1, and in some cases even higher.
The analysis specifically finds that investing $1.8 trillion globally in five areas from 2020 to 2030 could generate $7.1 trillion in total net benefits. The five areas of climate adaptation the report considers are: early warning systems, climate-resilient infrastructure, improved dryland agriculture, mangrove protection, and investments in making water resources more resilient. These represent just a portion of the total investments needed and total benefits available.
Recent events have shown that climate change affects people everywhere. Furthermore, without action, millions of people will be pushed further into poverty, leading to increased conflict and instability.

Urban Migration: Strengthening Cooperation with Civil Society

"While migration is often seen as a national issue, and most of the mandate around immigration, refugees and asylum falls to the central government, it is often cities and local governments that have to directly deal and address the needs of newly arrived migrants, and the inclusion of long-term migrant residents. […] At the same time, civil society organizations (CSOs) have taken an increasingly important role in supporting migrants by undertaking initiatives that raise awareness, facilitate access to basic services, advocate for their rights and strengthen social inclusion. The role of CSOs as key partners for local authorities in the governance of migration and other urban governance issues is widely recognized, but it is not always clear how to articulate these partnerships and coordinate efforts while securing the autonomy of these organizations and avoiding potential tensions or conflicts of interest."
In June 2019, UCLG ́s Learning team coordinated a workshop and peer learning event focusing on “Building trust through strengthened cooperation: the role of civil society in the urban governance of migration” in Sfax, Tunisia. The workshop was part of the Mediterranean City to City Migration (MC2CM) project. In the process of the event some key learnings and recommendations have been worked out. The documentation includes case studies from Sfax, Tunisia; Malaga, Spain;  Brital, Lebanon; Douala, Cameroon and Meknes, Morocco. 

Digitalisation in the Lives of Urban Migrants

As increased migration, particularly to urban centres, and digitalisation play a greater role in development cooperation, more research on how these phenomena interact will become critical. Information communication technologies (ICTs) offer pathways for potentially making it easier for migrants to settle in, whether it be through e-government programmes or by accessing social networks that can help in finding housing and work. To better understand how ICTs fit into urban migrants’ lives, researchers from the German Development Institute have used new survey data in Bogota comparing how long-term residents, short-term residents, and Venezuelan migrants access and use ICTs.

Integrated Implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Cities and City-Regions

GIZ and the authors in this publication series observe increasing spatial and functional interrelations between cities, settlements and their surrounding rural areas and argue that the city-regional scale is highly relevant and call for paradigm shifts towards urban and regional planning, financing and implementation across sectors, stakeholders, administrative borders and governmental level. The studies and discussion papers in this publication series cover a diverse set of cityregional challenges and solutions gathered around the focus areas “Integrated Implementation of Global Agendas”, “Metropolitan Governance”, “Integrated Territorial Development for Strengthening Urban-Rural Linkages – including City Region Food Systems”, “Urban Resource Management and Climate Change”, “Digitalisation and Urban Development – Smart Cities” and “Regional Economic Development and Innovative Business Regions”. The studies and discussion papers aim at promoting the local implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Climate Agreement and the New Urban Agenda (NUA) which acknowledge the mutual dependencies between cities and regions as key potentials for inclusive and sustainable development.

The GIZ publication provides an overview of studies, discussion papers and digital sources related to urban and metropolitan issues from the perspective of German development cooperation.

Towards the Localization of the SDGs

"This Report explores the involvement of Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) in the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Following UN guidelines, it complements the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) submitted by 143 countries to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) throughout the first four- year cycle of voluntary reporting. It delivers first-hand information from LRGs in 80 different countries, including 24 of the 47 countries reporting in 2019."

Klimaschutz und Luftreinhaltung

"Im Klimaschutz und in der Luftreinhaltung verbergen sich viele Synergieeffekte, die es in den Kommunen zu identifizieren und zu nutzen gilt. Sei es in der Verkehrssteuerung, im eigenen Fuhrpark, in der Stadtentwicklung oder in der Grün- und Freiraumplanung, beim Ausbau von Fuß- und Radwegen sowie in der Förderung des ÖPNV: Viele Maßnahmen in der Luftreinhaltung dienen auch dem Klimaschutz und umgekehrt. Hier lohnt es sich, genauer hinzuschauen und den Doppelnutzen für Umwelt und Gesundheit auszuschöpfen.
Die Publikation zeigt in fünf Beiträgen und vier Exkursen Beispiele unterschiedlicher Strategien und Maßnahmen für saubere Luft in Kommunen auf und gibt Impulse, wie die beiden Themenfelder miteinander verknüpft werden können."

Resilient Cities, Resilient Lives

„The world is more densely populated and more interconnected than ever before. From extreme weather to refugee crises, from disease pandemics to cyberattacks, today’s state of play requires new models of governance to mitigate risk and respond to challenges. Business-as-usual models of reactive planning and siloed decision-making will not generate the fundamental strength and flexibility essential for us to thrive in the face of the shocks and stresses of the 21st century. […] The launch of 100 Resilient Cities program (100RC) by the Rockefeller Foundation acknowledged that the escalating trends of urbanization, globaliza- tion, and climate change pose tremendous risks, but also offer a tremendous opportunity. This report shares 100RC’s knowledge about what it takes to catalyze an urban resilience movement.“

Heatwave Guide for Cities

"Heatwaves are deadly and their impacts are on the rise globally due to climate change. People living in urban areas are amongst the hardest hit when a heatwave occurs because these are hotter than the surrounding countryside. Along with climate change, urbanization is one of the most transformative trends of this century and the last. Over half the world now lives in urban areas and this is projected to increase to two-thirds by 2050. It is crucial that cities incorporate heat-reduction tactics such as green spaces into their plans for growth or retrofit them in built areas. […] This practical guide is designed with, and for, people working in city government to understand, reduce the risk of, and respond to, heatwaves in their cities."