‘Decentralization:  The new dimension of peace, democracy and development’

to be addressed at Florence meeting 17-21 September

NEW YORK, 14 September (DESA) -- The Regional Assembly of Tuscany and the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE), with substantive and technical support from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), are organizing the first Conference of the European and African Regional Assemblies on the theme “Decentralization:  The New Dimension of Peace, Democracy and Development”, which will be held at Salone dei Cinquecento, Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy, from 17 to 18 September 2004.  Within the context of the Conference, UNDESA will hold a post-conference workshop on “Decentralized Governance for Effective and Responsive Service Delivery:  Prerequisites, Trends, Approaches, Policies, and Capacity-Building Strategies” at the same venue from 20 to 21 September 2004.

In Africa, the policy of decentralization represents one of the most remarkable political developments recently emerged from the process of institutional reforms that began in the 1990s.  In fact, while economic development was initially centrally planned, nowadays the decentralization process allows local communities to contribute to sustainable and participatory democratization, peaceful and people-sensitive development as well peaceful resolution of development-related conflicts, especially those linked to distribution of resources.

The events which will take place in Florence from 17 to 21 September 2004 are meant to be a forum to exchange experiences and discuss obstacles to and opportunities of decentralization among European regional assemblies, those that have substantial experience in autonomous decision-making, and African local authorities that are gaining increasing autonomy.  The Conference aims to support the decentralization process in Africa as a key instrument in achieving good governance and local development, and to encourage democratic participation.  But beyond these objectives, experts and practitioners will examine case studies and various legal frameworks of decentralized governance as they relate to the delivery of services, and recommend appropriate oversight, standards and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms that are most likely to improve the delivery of essential services, especially those related to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Participants will include high-level experts in decentralized governance, local government political and administrative practitioners from Europe and Africa and other developing countries, as well as representatives of development agencies, including the United Nations system, who are engaged in financing decentralized governance.

Contact person:  John-Mary Kauzya, Chief, Governance and Public Administration Branch, DPADM/UNDESA, tel.: +1 212 963 1973; e-mail:  kauzya@un.org.

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