Maputo Roadmap on South-South Cooperation for Local Governments

On 8 November 2012 ILO joined UCLG in a peer learning activity in Maputo, Mozambique, on the informal economic sector in Maputo, and more specifically the conditions of informal vendors in the city. At its conclusion the workshop adopted a roadmap, committing to the development and implementation of South-South and triangular cooperation between local authorities in the area of local economic development and decent work. This roadmap will be submitted to the Local and Regional Leaders World Summit to be held during the next UCLG Congress (Rabat, 1-4 October 2013).

Maputo Roadmap on South-South Cooperation for Local Governments

Participants from the Workshop organized by the City of Maputo, UCLG, Anamm, ILO, Norwegian Ministry of Cooperation, Cities Alliance and originating from Maputo, Mozambique cities, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre (Brazil) and Durban (South Africa)

1) Express their satisfaction with the South-South and Triangular (SSTC) knowledge exchange initiated in Maputo in the field of formal and informal markets, local economic development and the promotion of decent work. The workshop put emphasis on the role of local governments in bettering the conditions of work, hygiene, health, waste management, and in creating decent work conditions and employment in the city markets.
  • The sharing of experience from other cities (Belo Horizonte, Durban, Porto Alegre and cities in Mozambique) along with in-depth presentation and field visits of the Maputo market helped identify strategic areas for cooperation: inclusive approach to community development, involvement of local associations, social partners, markets leaders in public services. Critical areas such as waste management, cleaning and toilet facilities, hygiene conditions surrounding animal selling have also been highlighted. Practical approaches have been suggested by local actors.
2) Reiterate their intent to continue working jointly in developing capacity building and knowledge sharing across municipalities in the same horizontal framework and to contribute to develop a local government South-South cooperation programme.
  • To pursue the exchange, a number of opportunities have been laid out and participants have taken note of their role in the preparation and organization of these events. Already in the planning, activities are scheduled in Dakar, December 2012, within the framework of Africities, in March 2013, in Durban, to build the capacities of intermediary size cities for local development (from South Africa, Malawi, Namibia, Kenya, Mozamique, Brazil) in April, a political roundtable on South-South cooperation will be set up in the framework of the National Congress of Local Authorities in Brazil. UCLG will provide support to these activities, the involvement of ILO will be sought, specifically the cities of Belo Horizonte and Durban connecting to the respective national ILO offices.
3) Invite other local and regional governments both from the North and the South to join in the SSTC experience, as similar knowledge could be gained by reinforcing SSTC networking among mayors and local/regional governments to develop information sharing and peer learning activities in the area of decent work and local development.
  • Existing and foreseen cooperation agreement between cities of the South (between Porto Alegre and Mozambique cities, between Belo Horizonte and Maputo (in process), between Durban and cities from the South part of AFrica), between Maputo and Barcelona, are viewed as opportunities to pursue knowledge exchange in the area of strategic planning, including local Economic Development and Decent work.
4) Call upon municipalities, local governments associations and their partners participating in UCLG (United Cities and Local Government) to contribute to the SSTC on practical and policy level.
  • Experience in SSTC is viewed as particularly relevant to the international development agenda building on existing and future UCLG policy papers, joint research developed by municipalities.
  • In this perspective, joint research and knowledge sharing should contribute to the inclusion of LED, decent work and in the post-2015 framework and follow-up of Rio+20 (contributing to the realization of sustainable cities).
5) Invite UCLG and the ILO to increase their involvement in SSTC in their joint activities.
  • Local and regional governments are leaders in the promotion of LED, decent livelihood and decent work, through strategic and inclusive planning processes.
6) Commit to share this roadmap in their networks along a substantive report stating the GOOD practices, following criteria of sustainability, innovation and horizontal cooperation.

7) Will welcome and commit to the organization of a special session dedicated to LED during the UCLG Congress in Rabat.
  • This session will be an opportunity to assemble the knowledge and experience in SSTC accumulated in the above mentioned events.
  • It will also allow to bring to the forefront of the international agenda the contribution of the cities to poverty eradication, to access to basic services, to slum upgrading and sustainable urbanization, and to the promotion of LED and decent work.