One year ago, more than 150 world leaders adopted the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 2030 Agenda outlines an action plan for people, planet and prosperity for all. It defines a new development framework that requires a widespread engagement of all, from national and sub-national governments to private companies, from civil society organizations to academia, and so on.

All of the SDGs have targets that are directly or indirectly related to the daily work of local and regional governments. Local governments should not be seen as mere implementers of the agenda. Local governments are policy makers, catalysts of change and the level of government best placed to link the global goals with local communities. Localizing these Agenda means to be effectively implemented on the ground at the level of cities and territories in order that these agenda quit the domain of wishful thinking and become true commitments at the service of people, following the manta of “leaving no one and no place behind”. The implementation of these global agenda has a territorial dimension by nature and a great deal of its realization falls under the responsibility of local and regional governments. The international Community itself recognizes that over 60% of the SDGs cannot be implemented without the involvement of local and regional governments.

If the new 2030 Agenda wants to respect its commitments and be truly transformative, it needs to be implemented and fully realized at the local level.