The localization of the SDGs was among the various topics discussed during the Ninth World Urban Forum held in Kuala Lumpur, from February 7 to 13th. Several events organized by a variety of partners showcased the approaches and results that local and regional governments and their partners have come up with since the adoption of the SDGs in 2015.

The localizing the SDGs initiative was present throughout the week. In particular, UCLG and the Global Taskforce organized the networking event Local and regional governments localizing the global goals to raise-awareness of the global goals among local and regional governments, to highlight successful implementation efforts at local level; to facilitate learning, decentralized cooperation and exchange; to bring local monitoring and reporting information to the global fora and bring the experiences and visions to complement central government reporting.

The Barcelona Provincial council  organized an event on subnational global observatories and the implementation of global agendas where the Knowledge & sharing platform www.localizingthesdgs.org was introduced to participants.

"To localizing SDGs is linked to multilevelgovernance, territorial approaches and an integrated visions"

Octavi de la Varga. Secretary General, Metropolis

Some partners approached localization via a sectoral angle, such as housing (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe;  water (Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association), culture (International Council on Monuments and Sites, ICOMOS) or climate action (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ)

Others looked at governance and finance frameworks:

• DeLoG, the Development Partners Network on Decentralisation and Local Governance called for decentralized governmental and administrative structures to localize the SDGs
• The Lincoln Institute of Land policy discussed the importance of adopting a subnational focus to enable SDG implementation at the local level, and the importance of municipal finance to fund implementation activities sustainably. 
• The Government of South Africa presented their national and local frameworks for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda

A sign also that partners have advanced on localizing the SDGs, specific training events were dedicated to this.

• Localizing SDGs: integrated territorial planning with the SDGs in medium sized cities, by VNG International
• How do I implement Global Agendas in my city? – Examples and entry points for actions, by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
• Aligning the New Urban Agenda - 2030 Agenda Implementation – Smart City Tools for Multi-level Governments and Partners , by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

WUF9 was also the opportunity for partners to present their work, such as: 

• The OECD presented its recently launched Programme on 'A Territorial Approach to SDGs', which is paving the way for enhanced evidence on SDGs' state of play at sub-national level, as well as the multi-level governance dynamics at the core of their implementation, and lessons learned in terms of incentives and framework conditions. The Programme will provide a unique platform to share valuable data, experience and knowledge across countries, regions and cities on how SDGs can and should change the paradigm for designing and implementing better local and regional policies for better lives.
• Misra Urban Futures showcased the results of the first phase of the comparative research to monitor and analyse the implementation of Agenda 2030 and the New Urban Agenda in intermediate cities across the world. A compilation of City briefs (Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Gothenburg, Kisumu, Sheffield, Simla) were presented and discussed.  

Read the KUALA LUMPUR DECLARATION ON CITIES 2030