The fourth edition of the World Forum of Local Economic Development, which started in Andalusia (Spain) in 2011, took place from October 17 to 20 in Praia, the Cabo Verdean capital, and was attended by the highest officials of the Cabo Verdean Government, the United Nations and its Agencies and dozens of Mayors, Presidents of Regions and Ministers from all the continents.

The number of participants for this international meeting of policy makers and local economic development agents surpassed the expectation of the two thousand enrolled. 2’800 participants contributed to the forum, with delegations representing 85 countries. They participated in more than 50 sessions, including high-level plenary sessions, interactive panels, policy dialogues and many other activities that offered the opportunity to more than 250 speakers and world representatives to discuss and share their vision about Local Economic Development.

For 4 days, in addition to the scheduled sessions, the forum provided a space for the signature of several agreements for cooperation, exchanges and B2B contacts to create synergies between local authorities, regions and local economic development institutions in several countries.

"Cabo Verde is to be congratulated. The Fourth World Forum was a success" said Ulrika Richardson, United Nations Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative in Cabo Verde, in her final remarks. Ulisses Correia e Silva, Prime Minister of Cabo Verde took the occasion to renew the commitment of Cabo Verde to the Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the importance of ensuring their localization.

The Forum provided the occasion to analyze the consolidated set of diverse and widely applied LED practices and tools, directed at enlarging equal opportunities for income and decent work. In this regard, Johannes Krassnitzer, Coordinator of the UNDP ART Initiative, emphasized the relevance of using the local economic development approach as a vehicle for the local implementation of the SDGs.

In the closing session, Manuel de Pina, President of the Cabo Verdean Association of Municipalities, read the Declaration of Praia, which expresses the set of intentions, commitments and resolutions that came out of this 4th World Forum of Local Economic Development.

A comprehensive report of the event is currently being elaborated and will be shared on the Forum website. More videos that gather some key moments of the forum, together with interviews of the delegates, speakers and participants are being edited and will be shared with you as soon as available. Meanwhile, you can watch this summary video.