Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development (nrg4sd)

Transcription

1 Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development (nrg4sd)

2 What is nrg4sd? The Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development The nrg4sd Network is an international organization and network of "Regional Governments" and "Associations of Regional Governments" for Sustainable Development. nrg4sd was formed by the regional governments ([1]) that attended the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002), to share information and experience about SD policy-making at the regional level of governance. Although set up in 2002, nrg4sd was legally registered in Belgium in 2004 as an "International non-profit-making association". [1] The term regional governments : There are many different types and names for regional governments in different parts of the Word. For the purposes of nrg4sd, the term "region" is understood in a wide sense as a territory, where a system of governance exists and, which is the largest and first level of political subdivision within an individual member State represented at the United Nations and is above the municipal level. The regional sphere of government is growing in importance world-wide. From the point of view of proximity, efficiency and spatial dimension regional governments are strategically located as a necessary and crucial sphere of government for the development of policy and for implementation of sustainable development.

3 nrg4sd s Mission & Main Goals The Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development, nrg4sd aims to be a voice for, and to represent regional governments at the global level in the area of sustainable development. The main goals and objectives of the nrg4sd Network are: To be a voice for regional governments worldwide, stressing the strengths and unique position of regional government on sustainable development. To be a platform for sharing information and best practices To facilitate bilateral and multilateral partnership agreements To promote and establish partnerships (bilateral and multilateral) among member regions and other international institutions on sustainable development

4 Partnerships with other international organizations Different projects, cooperation agreements, partnerships, protocols and memorandums of understanding have been adopted between nrg4sd and other regions or international organizations, such as: November 2006: Memorandum of Understanding agreed and signed between nrg4sd and the Hub for Innovative Partnerships of United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP) to work together to promote the delivery of the Millennium Development Goals at the sub-national level worldwide 2005: Promotion of a reconstruction project and constitution of a Tsunami Task Force to support the North Sumatera member region in economical, technical and advisory terms, following the Tsunami catastrophe August 2004: Protocol of Intentions between nrg4sd and the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the establishment of a framework programme of multilateral co-operation to favor sustainable development at regional level for Latin America and the Caribbean Partnerships in the framework of nrg4sd As an important concrete result of the Network, a series of bilateral cooperation projects and partnerships have been agreed and signed among member regions in the framework of nrg4sd, in addition to the ones signed between nrg4sd and other international organizations

5 nrg4sd s contribution to SD The nrg4sd Network holds regular internal Summits, General Assemblies, Conferences and Seminars to facilitate and promote the exchange of information, best practices and partnerships among its members nrg4sd contributes to the global discussions on SD from a regional governments perspective at international level and seeks greater international recognition of the contribution to SD made by Regional Governments: CSD and UNFCCC events, FOGAR meetings, Conferences, nrg4sd has also adopted the Regional Common SD Indicators proposal and 8 Policy Papers ([2]) in the main thematic areas of action of the Network, which are in line with the international agenda and, specifically, with the multi-year programme of work of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and the Millennium Development Goals [2] Nrg4SD Policy Papers: Developing the added value of Regional Action for International Co-Operation; Strategies of Sustainable Development; Sustainable Energy and Renewables; Sustainable Tourism; Water; Regional or Minority Languages and Language Endargement; Fair Trade; and Forest Management.

6 nrg4sd Regional Common SD Indicators In November 2004, an international Seminar on Sustainable Development Indicators was organised by the Basque Government within the activities of nrg4sd) and ENCORE, with a view to setting up a basis for developing common indicators at a regional- sub national level. Following the results and conclusions of the Seminar, the Basque Government tabled a proposal containing ten plus two optional sustainable development indicators to be applied and used at the regional level. The main conclusion of the Seminar highlighted the opportunity to work towards a 10+1 regional target, i.e. ten integrated sustainable development indicators plus the ecological footprint. This new proposal was open for comments within nrg4sd and published at and the final 10+1 indicators were adopted by the nrg4sd Steering Committee held in Nairobi in November These Regional Common SD Indicators are a first step in order to share and calculate in the future Common Regional Indicators by nrg4sd member regions and other regions of the world.

7 nrg4sd Common SD Indicators QUALITY OF LIFE, Human development Indicator 1: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX SOCIAL COHESION, Poverty Indicator 2: RISK OF POVERTY RATE Indicator 3: INEQUALITY OF INCOME DISTRIBUTION SOCIAL COHESION, Access to the labour market Indicator 4: EMPLOYMENT RATE QUALITY OF LIFE, Health Indicator 5: HIV MORBIDITY RATE Indicator 6: RATIO OF ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER WASTE, Management Indicator 7: SEWAGE TREATMENT ENVIRONMENT, Climate Change Indicator 8: CO2 EMISSIONS PER CAPITA WASTE, Management Indicator 9: NON RECYCLED MSW PER CAPITA ENVIRONMENT, Conservation Indicator 10: CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY + ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

8 Aspects analysed with respect to each Indicator: Definition Associated Millennium Goal Unit of measurement: a dimensional, percentage Calculation interval: annual Desirable trend: upwards, downwards, one Numerical representation Graphic representation Method of Calculation Information source(s) Reference system, links Interpretation of results Parameters Obstacles Remarks Further information

9 Common SD Indicators 1 & 2 Indicator 1: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX (HDI) Definition: The HDI measures average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development: long and healthy life, education and a dignified standard of living. The HDI is therefore a compound index containing three variables: life expectancy at birth, educational achievement (adult literacy & gross enrolment ratio in primary, secondary & higher education combined) and actual per capita GDP measured with purchasing power parity (PPP) Associated Millennium Goal: Eradicate extreme poverty & hunger, achieve universal primary education, reduce child mortality Desirable trend: Upwards Indicator 2: RISK OF POVERTY RATE Definition: Percentage of the population that receive an income below the poverty line (normally 60% of average national income after transfers) Associated Millennium Goal: Eradicate extreme poverty & hunger, achieve universal primary education, reduce child mortality Desirable trend: Downwards

10 Common SD Indicators 3-5 Indicator 3: INEQUALITY IN INCOME DISTRIBUTION Definition: Ratio of the percentage of total income received by the 20% of highest income earners to the percentage received by the 20% of lowest income earners Associated Millennium Goal: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Desirable trend: One Indicator 4: EMPLOYMENT RATE Definition: Population in work as a percentage of the total working-age population, broken down by sex Associated Millennium Goal: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, promote gender equality and empower women Desirable trend: Upwards Indicator 5: HIV MORBIDITY RATE Definition: Percentage of the population infected by HIV Associated Millennium Goal: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Desirable trend: Downwards

11 Common SD Indicators 6-8 Indicator 6: RATIO OF ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER Definition: Percentage of the population with access to safe drinking water Associated Millennium Goal: Ensure environmental sustainability Desired trend: Upwards Indicator 7: SEWAGE TREATMENT Definition: Percentage of the population connected to a sewerage network Associated Millennium Goal: Ensure environmental sustainability Desired trend: Upwards Indicator 8: CO2 EMISSIONS PER CAPITA Definition: Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), calculated by the IPCC method & divided by the number of inhabitants Associated Millennium Goal: Ensure environmental sustainability Desirable trend: Downwards

12 Common SD Indicators 9,10 + EF Indicator 9: NON RECYCLED MSW PER CAPITA Definition: Amount of municipal solid waste not recycled, divided by the number of inhabitants Associated Millennium Goal: Ensure environmental sustainability Desirable trend: Downwards Indicator 10: CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY Definition: Percentage of total surface area with some degree of protection (Natura2000 network, Habitat Directive, Biosphere Reserves, RAMSAR, etc.) & nº of endangered species Associated Millennium Goal: Ensuring environmental sustainability Desirable trend: Upward & downward ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

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14 Official nrg4sd members Nrg4SD has official members from all the UN regions of the globe and focal points in each of them. Regional Governments (29) Andalusia Aragon Azores Australian Capital Territory Basque Country Brittany Callao Catalonia Chaco Flanders Galicia Goias Kaunas North Rhine-Westphalia North Sumatera Poitou-Charentes Reunion Riau Santa Fe Sao Paulo South Australia Tulcea Tuscany Victoria Wales Wallonia West Java Western Australia Western Cape Associations of Regional Governments (3) Associaçao Brasileira de Entidades Estaduais de Meio Ambiente, ABEMA Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe, CPMR Northern Forum

15 nrg4sd represents more than 500 regions in the area of SD In March 2007, representatives from different Associations of Regions and Networks (comprising about 500 regions from all the Continents) have launched The Forum of Global Associations of Regions (FOGAR) ([1]). The nrg4sd Network is one of the founder members of the Forum FOGAR and is also member of its Steering Committee. FOGAR has explicitly recognised that the nrg4sd Network will represent FOGAR in the area of sustainable development. [1] Founder members of FOGAR: Conference of Peripheral Maritimes Regions of Europe (CPMR); Association Internationale de Régions Francophones (AIRF); Association of European Border Regions (AEBR); CRECENEA (Provincias de Argentina y Brasil); (Network of Local Authorities for the Information Society (IT4ALL); Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development (nrg4sd); Norte-Grande Argentino; Northern Forum; Organización Latinoamericana de Gobiernos Intermedios (OLAGI); Zona de Integración del Centro Oeste de America del Sur (ZICOSUR); Conference of Leaders of the EU's Outermost Regions.

16 nrg4sd at the United Nations Accreditation processes before de UN United Nations Environmental Program s Governing Council /Global Ministerial Environmental Forum, UNEP GC/GMEF: Observer Status since February 2007 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC: Observer Status since November 2005 United Nations Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC: in the process to obtain the Observer Status Participation of nrg4sd at the CSD sessions & the UNFCCC CoP events Nrg4SD has actively participated in all UN Sessions of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) from 2003 to 2007 in New York: from the CSD-11 (May 03) to the CSD-15 Session (May 07) Nrg4SD has actively participated in all UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) CoP events since 2003: from CoP-9 (Milan, December 03) to CoP-12/MoP2 (Nairobi, Kenya, November 06) and will also participate in CoP-13 (Bali, December 07)

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