Virtual Workshop on Subsidiarity and Decentralisation for Sustainable Development

Background: The Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) adopted 11 principles of effective governance at its seventeenth session. The principles, endorsed by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 2018/12. Highlight the need for pragmatic and ongoing improvements in national and local governance capabilities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The principles are designed to ensure effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions for sustainable development at all levels.

One of these is the principles of subsidiarity: To promote government that is responsive to the needs and aspirations of all people, central authorities should perform only those tasks which cannot be performed effectively at a more intermediate or local level. CEPA has identified five commonly used strategies for promoting subsidiarity, namely: (1) fiscal federalism and decentralization; (2) strengthening urban governance; (3) strengthening municipal finance and local finance systems; (4) enhancement of local capacity for prevention, adaptation, and mitigation of external shocks; and (5) multilevel governance.

Based on the Principles of Subsidiarity from the UN CEPA Principles of Effective Governance, UN DESA/DPIDG together with its Project Office on Governance (UNPOG), will organise the Virtual Workshop on Subsidiarity and Decentralisation for Sustainable Development on 12 March 2024.

The workshop is organised by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) through the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) and its Project Office – United Nations Project Office on Governance (UNPOG). The workshop is designed to share knowledge and provide a platform to connect participants with practitioners in other countries, the UN system and other organisations to take concrete action-oriented steps towards more effective relations among levels of government in implementing the SDGs.

• Provide a platform to share knowledge and guidance on how to promote inclusiveness and subsidiarity for sustainable development.
• Increase understanding and awareness of the competencies and skills needed to apply the principle of subsidiarity with an emphasis on institutions at all levels.
• Highlight peer learning opportunities and research networks in specific practice areas.
• Identify capacity development opportunities to enhance decentralization and relations with subnational governments that can be undertaken with the support of the UN system and other organisations.