The first Global Forum on Local Development - held by the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Uganda in Kampala in October 2010 - engaged a large and diverse range of stakeholders around the central question: Do local governments hold the key to faster MDG achievement? Over 600 participants from 81 countries came to Kampala for three days of discussion and debate. The Forum took place at a critical crossroads: immediately after the September 2010 MDG Summit in New York, which focused on the need for acceleration strategies, and at the beginning of the final five year stretch to reach the Goals.

The Note tries to identify and articulate in practical terms what has (or has not) been done by LGs in addressing CC, and what can be done to improve outcomes from this interface. The overall conclusion is that while there is much talk about the role of LGs in addressing CC, there is little hard evidence that CC figures prominently on the routine agenda of most LGs in the developing countries of the Asia-Pacific region. There are specific projects and programmes, funded by donors and governments, which try to address CC at the local level, and which sometimes (but not always) work through LGs. If it is assumed that LGs do indeed have a potentially important role to play in addressing CC, then a good deal more needs to be done to realise this potential. The Note tries to understand why LGs appear to be relatively inactive on CC, and provides some entry points and approaches that might contribute towards greater local government involvement. 

The Outlook is a diagnostic tool that provides a comprehensive overview of local development trends in Cambodia. It also discusses policy and governance reforms aimed at reducing disparities and exploiting the enormous potential of Cambodian territories. The report will be of interest to policy makers, Development Partners, researchers, NGOs and others interested in the dynamics of Cambodia’s economic and policy development.

 
This quantitative research of rural Fijian households looks at how financial literacy, particularly when coupled with access to a savings account, leads to improved household finances and well-being. Some interesting findings around the role of women and better financial management skills of women suggest that financial literacy programmes for women can have greater impact than those for men. The report also includes evidence that financial priorities shift such that educated households invest more in their families and business and relatively less on community obligations.