Commonwealth Local Government Forum

Last updated

The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) is a global local government organisation, bringing together local authorities, their national associations and the ministries responsible for local government in the member countries of the Commonwealth. CLGF works with national and local governments to support the development of democratic values and good local governance and is the associated organisation officially recognised by Commonwealth Heads of Government as the representative body for local government in the Commonwealth. [1]

Contents

CLGF is unique in bringing together central, provincial and local spheres of government involved in local government policy and decision-making. CLGF members include local government associations, individual local authorities, ministries dealing with local government, and research and professional organisations who work with local government. Practitioner to practitioner support is at the core of CLGF's work across the Commonwealth and within the region, using CLGF's own members to support others both within and between regions.

The Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance exist under the support of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum. [2]

History

CLGF was founded in 1995 and its establishment was endorsed by Commonwealth Heads of Government at their meeting in New Zealand later that year. It has received further endorsement at subsequent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings and in 2003 was given official recognition as an associated Commonwealth organisation of elected representatives. At the 2005 Commonwealth Local Government Conference held in Aberdeen, the members of CLGF endorsed the Aberdeen Agenda: Commonwealth principles for local democracy and good governance which we're endorsed later that year by the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Malta, and in 2013 incorporated in the Charter of the Commonwealth.

Partnerships

CLGF works closely with other Commonwealth and international organisations such as the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth Foundation, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the United Nations, including UN-Habitat and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to promote and support democratic local government in the Commonwealth and to ensure that local government is recognised as an important sphere of government in development. CLGF is a member of the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments along with other global local government organisations including UCLG, UNACLA, ICLEI, IAFM, ATO, and C40 [3] and is also a member of Cities Alliance. [4]

The Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance is written under the auspices of CLGF, edited by Cardiff University and published by the University of Technology Sydney. It was first published in 2008. [5]

Organisation

The CLGF secretariat is housed in the Commonwealth hub [6] on Pall Mall, London and has regional offices in the Caribbean, West Africa, Southern Africa, South Asia and the Pacific, and country programme offices in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The current Chair of CLGF is Cllr. Mpho Moruakgomo, President of BALA and Secretary-General is Dr Greg Munro, who took over from the founding Secretary-General Dr Carl Wright in 2016. CLGF patrons include former UNDP Administrator and New Zealand Prime Minister Rt Hon. Helen Clark and Tuvaluan Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga.

Commonwealth Local Government Conferences

CLGF organised pan-Commonwealth biennial conference bringing together is members and partners

Four conferences were held 2011-17: In November 2017 in Valletta, Malta on the theme of 'Fit for the future: resources and capacity for effective local government'. In Gaborone in June 2015 on the theme 'Local government 2030: achieving the vision' and CLGF general assembly endorsed the Gaborone Declaration - Local Government 2030. 2013 in Kampala. 2011 in Cardiff. [7] The next conference is to be held in Kigali, Rwanda in late 2023.

Related Research Articles

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is a biennial summit meeting of the governmental leaders from all Commonwealth nations. Despite the name, the head of state may be present in the meeting instead of the head of government, especially among semi-presidential states. Every two years the meeting is held in a different member state and is chaired by that nation's respective prime minister or president, who becomes the Commonwealth Chair-in-Office until the next meeting. Queen Elizabeth II, who was the Head of the Commonwealth, attended every CHOGM beginning with Ottawa in 1973 until Perth in 2011, although her formal participation only began in 1997. She was represented by the Prince of Wales at the 2013 meeting as the 87-year-old monarch was curtailing long-distance travel. The Queen attended the 2015 summit in Malta and the 2018 summit in London, but was represented again by the Prince of Wales at the 2022 meeting in Rwanda.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an organisation which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Head of the Commonwealth</span> Symbolic head of association of independent states

The Head of the Commonwealth is the ceremonial leader who symbolises "the free association of independent member nations" of the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental organisation that currently comprises 56 sovereign states. There is no set term of office or term limit and the role itself has no constitutional relevance to any of the member states within the Commonwealth. The position is currently held by King Charles III. Head of the Commonwealth is also a title of the monarch of each of the Commonwealth realms according to the Royal Style and Titles Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative</span> Organization of countries

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is a Norwegian-based organization that seeks to establish a global standard for the good governance of oil, gas and mineral resources. It seeks to address the key governance issues in the extractive sectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African Peer Review Mechanism</span>

The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is a mutually agreed instrument voluntarily acceded to by the member states of the African Union (AU) as a self-monitoring mechanism. It was founded in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Martin O'Donnell</span> Irish diplomat (born 1954)

Francis Martin O'Donnell GCMM, GCEG, KC*SG, KM, KCHS, KCMCO is an Irish citizen who has served abroad as an international diplomat in senior representative positions with the United Nations until retirement, and later with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. He was elected President of the Genealogical Society of Ireland effective March 2024, and President of the O'Donnell Clan Association in June 2024 He is a life member of the Institute of International and European Affairs. He currently continues to serve pro bono as an advisor to the Global Partnerships Forum and is a listed endorser of the NGO consortium known as Nonviolent Peaceforce. He served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to the Slovak Republic from December 2009 to March 2013. He previously served as a United Nations official for 32 years, most recently as the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations system in Ukraine, from 30 September 2004 until 31 March 2009, and previously in the same capacity in Serbia-Montenegro. In early 2012, he was appointed to the Council of the Order of Clans of Ireland, and was elected its Chancellor in May 2014. He also served on the Board of Directors, and completed both terms of office in April 2015. Since then, he has participated in Globsec, the InterAction Council, and is a regular participant, panellist or moderator in the annual Global Baku Forum. He is also a speaker and panellist on global policy issues at seminars and forums of the Association of Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe, and is a director of the Board of Trustees of its School of Civic Education in London. He is a member of the Peacemaking Reflection Group of former senior UN officials under the auspices of the Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability. He is an occasional guest speaker on Irish history and genealogy in Dublin, Madrid, Vienna, and at the Sorbonne in Paris. He is also a published author of a book and articles on global policy challenges, historical works and a first volume of poetry.

The Commonwealth Foundation (CF) is an intergovernmental organisation that was established by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1966, a year after its sister organisation, the Commonwealth Secretariat. The Foundation is located at Marlborough House in London, a former royal palace which was assigned for the use of these Commonwealth institutions by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the former Head of the Commonwealth. As the Commonwealth agency for civil society, the Foundation is funded by 49 member states to support participatory governance through its programmes. The Foundation provides resources, grants and access to platforms to encourage better engagement between civil society and institutions of governance. Membership of the Commonwealth Foundation is voluntary and is separate from membership of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The Edinburgh Declaration was a declaration by the heads of government of the Commonwealth of Nations concerning the organisation's membership criteria. Part of the final communiqué issued at the end of the fifteenth Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the Declaration was an endorsement of the report of the Inter-Governmental Group on Criteria for Commonwealth Membership (IGCCM). It was issued on 27 October 1997, in Edinburgh, the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs</span> Government organization in New York, United States

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs is part of the United Nations Secretariat and is responsible for the follow-up to major United Nations Summits and Conferences, as well as services to the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the Second and Third Committees of the United Nations General Assembly. UN DESA assists countries around the world in agenda-setting and decision-making with the goal of meeting their economic, social and environmental challenges. It supports international cooperation to promote sustainable development for all, having as a foundation the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as adopted by the UN General Assembly on 25 September 2015. In providing a broad range of analytical products, policy advice, and technical assistance, UN DESA effectively translates global commitments in the economic, social and environmental spheres into national policies and actions and continues to play a key role in monitoring progress towards internationally agreed-upon development goals. It is also a member of the United Nations Development Group. Since 2007, leadership positions in UN DESA have been held by representatives from the People's Republic of China. UN DESA has been used to promote China's Belt and Road Initiative.

The Commonwealth Youth Programme, also known as CYP, is an international development agency working with young people between the ages of 15 and 29. Part of the Commonwealth Secretariat, CYP is active in the Commonwealth's 54 member countries. CYP has a head office in London with four centers in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Currently, there are four regional directors and 16 program officers, plus support staff, working there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations</span> List of members of the Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 56 sovereign states, referred to as Commonwealth countries. Most of them were British colonies or dependencies of those colonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commonwealth of Nations</span> Political association of mostly former British Empire territories

The Commonwealth of Nations, often simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is an international association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire from which it developed. They are connected through their use of the English language and historical-cultural ties. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Commonwealth Secretariat, which focuses on intergovernmental relations, and the Commonwealth Foundation, which focuses on non-governmental relations between member nations. Numerous organisations are associated with and operate within the Commonwealth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union for the Mediterranean</span> Intergovernmental organization

The Union for the Mediterranean is an intergovernmental organization of 43 member states from Europe and the Mediterranean Basin: the 27 EU member states and 16 Mediterranean partner countries from North Africa, Western Asia and Southern Europe. It was founded on 13 July 2008 at the Paris Summit for the Mediterranean, with an aim of reinforcing the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (Euromed) that was set up in 1995 as the Barcelona Process. Its general secretariat is located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Institute for Sustainable Development</span> Think tank in Canada and Switzerland

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an independent think tank founded in 1990 working to shape and inform international policy on sustainable development governance. The institute has three offices in Canada - Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Toronto, and one office in Geneva, Switzerland. It has over 150 staff and associates working in over 30 countries.

Prof. The Honourable Bishnodat Persaud CHB, Ph.D., FRSA was a Guyanese economist who served as Alcan Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of the West Indies, and Director of Economic Affairs, Commonwealth Secretariat. In November 2013 he was awarded The Companion of Honour in the Barbados Independence Day Honours List for distinguished national achievement and merit for his outstanding contribution to the regional and international public service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting</span>

The 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, also known as CHOGM 2015 was the 24th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Malta from 27 to 29 November. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena handed the position of Commonwealth Chair-in-Office to Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat at the meeting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting</span>

The 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, also known as CHOGM 2018, was the 25th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in the United Kingdom. The meeting had been planned to have been held by Vanuatu at the end of 2017, but was moved to the United Kingdom after the impact of Cyclone Pam on the infrastructure of Vanuatu. The meeting was then postponed to April 2018 due to other international commitments.

The Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO) was established in 2007 to promote the private sector’s role in policy making and to encourage business development through effective partnerships with governments, regional organisations, development partners and NGOs. Its headquarters are in Suva, Fiji.

Carl W. Wright is a Commonwealth civil servant, former director of the Commonwealth Trade Union Group (1980–1994) and Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (1994–2016). Author 'Global Citizen: Grass Roots Activism and High Diplomacy'

The Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC), formed in 2012, is an association of governments and organisations that seeks to improve practices of international development. It has a unique position due to the breadth and stature of its participants.

References

  1. ↑ "Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) | The Commonwealth". thecommonwealth.org. Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  2. ↑ "Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance Issue 1 2008". UTS ePress. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  3. ↑ "globaltaskforce2016". globaltaskforce2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  4. ↑ "Our Members | Cities Alliance". www.citiesalliance.org. 9 August 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  5. ↑ "Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance". Archived from the original on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
  6. ↑ "The Queen launches new Commonwealth Hub | The Commonwealth". thecommonwealth.org. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  7. ↑ "Commonwealth Local Government Forum - Conferences".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.