GOLD VI report : summary
2022
Cités et Gouvernements Locaux Unis - United Cities and Local Governments (CGLU - UCLG)
As a global network of cities, local, regional and metropolitan governments and their associations, UCLG is committed to representing, defending and amplifying the voices of local and regional governments, so that no one, and no territory, is left behind. Together, we are the sentinels of the hopes, dreams and aspirations of every individual in every community in the world, in search of a life that breathes the ideals of the SDGs.
Three years ago, the Municipal Movement organised under the aegis of UCLG made it clear that, for local authorities, it was simply unacceptable to let inequalities continue to grow. Based on this mandate, the sixth edition of the GOLD report (Global Observatory on Local Democracy and Decentralization) was jointly produced by UCLG and the KNOW project (DPU - University College London) and launched at the UCLG World Congress, held in Daejeon (Republic of Korea) in October 2022.
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What is the GOLD VI report?
The GOLD VI report, entitled « Pathways to Urban and Territorial Equality: Addressing inequalities through local transformation strategies », is a collective effort to place inequalities at the centre of urban and territorial issues. The report actively seeks ways to address inequalities through local transformation strategies.
GOLD VI is an action-oriented report. It aims to understand the state of urban and territorial inequalities in the world and to promote the central role of local and regional governments (LGRs) in addressing this global problem.
Visit the website dedicated to GOLD VI! It now provides easy access to the GOLD VI report and executive summary in English, French and Spanish, as well as to the 22 working papers and 66 case-based contributions that have enriched the GOLD VI process.
How can local and regional government tackle inequality?
The report aims to provide local and regional governments with concrete tools to tackle inequalities. It therefore analyses the evidence and articulates possible responses to the multiple manifestations of inequalities, focusing particularly on their territorial dimension, and on the opportunities for local and regional governments to take practical and, where possible, collective action against these inequalities. It also explores the conditions under which co-creating pathways to equality is possible, and highlights the challenges and alternatives facing urban and territorial governance. They aim to inspire local and regional authorities to develop strategies that meet the current needs of our communities, but also safeguard the aspirations of future generations.
What are the paths to equality?
GOLD VI is organised into a series of chapters that present the ways in which local government, in collaboration with other levels of government and civil society, is making progress towards equality:
004 Commoning proposes alternatives for accessing adequate housing, land and public services free from violence and discrimination;
005 Caring seeks to recognise and promote the redistribution of care work while calling on the role and capacity of local governments to care for their populations through local public services, such as education, culture or health services;
006 Connecting addresses the need for adequate physical and digital connectivity for all, with a focus on sustainable mobility and bridging the digital divide;
007 Renaturing proposes more sustainable ways of interacting with our natural systems, while respecting social justice;
008 Prospering proposes protecting livelihoods and promoting the social economy, local food systems and sustainable local economic development;
009 Democratizing aims to ensure inclusive and meaningful participation and to safeguard local democracies.
Finally, the report highlights a collective vision with five key cross-cutting principles (and corresponding policy recommendations) that are needed to guide the implementation of these pathways (see conclusion). These principles relate to the need to adopt a rights-based approach, proximity, a new culture of governance, fiscal and financial architecture, and to commit to timetables that go beyond electoral cycles to effectively advance urban and territorial equality.
Through the prism of each of these chapters, a diversity of themes are addressed, such as issues related to informality, housing, land, basic services, education, urban health, migration, violence and discrimination, food security, sustainable transport, digital connectivity, decent livelihoods, resilience, energy transition, decarbonisation, culture, finance, regional inequalities, all within a framework of political participation and accountability.
IBCs and CBCs: Why are these contributions essential to the GOLD VI report?
The GOLD VI report was co-produced as part of an international process involving over a hundred local and regional authorities, civil society organisations and experts. As such, GOLD facilitated a rich process of supporting and strengthening multi-stakeholder dialogues and ensured the participation and involvement of UCLG members.
The chapters and pathways in the GOLD VI report draw directly on the wealth of knowledge and experience included in the series of working papers and the Pathways to Equality Toolkit. These two key contributions bring together 22 thematic contributions and 66 case-based contributions respectively.
Looking to the future: how can capitalising on the GOLD VI process contribute to the Pact for the Future?
The elimination of all forms of social and territorial inequality is essential to the implementation of UCLG’s Pact for the Future and to the achievement of global development agendas. The six paths that GLR can take with their local communities are GOLD VI’s main contribution to the three pillars of the Compact: People, Planet and Government.
UCLG’s Global Secretariat and the main partners of the GOLD VI report are therefore committed to continuing to bring the report and its proposals to life, as well as the alliances on which it is based, through a capitalisation process that has two main objectives:
To continue to contribute to the work of the entire UCLG network and its World Secretariat to deploy the Pact for the Future, by extending and deepening the creation and exchange of knowledge, and by encouraging local initiatives in favour of equality. The journeys offer contributions to the various processes and mechanisms through which the Pact must be deployed, providing a ground for articulating the various axes of the Power of We. The breadth and depth of the knowledge and alliances produced by the GOLD VI process allow these contributions to take different forms, contributing to the Pact for the Future in different ways.
In parallel, to bring out the dialogues, debates and research priorities with UCLG, which could form the basis of the next GOLD report.