Start Date : 8 Jan 07   End Date : 10 Jan 07 Location: Seville, Spain

Organisation: UN-HABITAT SEVILLE CENTRE FOR CITY-TO-CITY CO-OPERATION 

Description:
In the past decades, European cities and local governments have increasingly engaged in international co-operation. Nevertheless, while the national state is a legitimated actor in the international scene, the situation is not at all that clear at local government level. In the EU context, we are assisting to a "de facto" situation where cities, provinces and regions are increasingly engaging international action while their legitimacy and the legal framework in which these new actors operate remains undefined. Even if the problematic changes from case to case, many local authorities have real problems to transform their solidarity will into practical projects and initiatives.

The main objective of this workshop is to share experience on solving legal problems and identify useful tools for improving effectiveness of international co-operation implemented by local governments.

The objectives of this workshop include:

• To identify common legal problems that local governments face while engaging international development initiatives.
• To examine actual available mechanisms to establish contracts between local authorities in different countries.
• To share solutions that local governments put into practice
• To examine contract law applicable and litigation mechanisms available
• To solve a series of case - studies in order to learning-by-doing

Participants profile:

• Local government lawyers
• Local government policy makers
• Officers in charge of international relations in local governments

Prior to the workshop, the Seville Centre will produce a document resuming the legal framework of local governments in Europe regarding their competence to intervene in international development co-operation.

The document will resume the answers of national associations of local authorities and selected local governments as well. The results of the document will be presented during the seminar.

Selected participants and local authorities will be asked to submit a practical case regarding a partnership between two local actors trying to establish an international development co-operation project. The cases can regard co-operation with non-governmental actors but an emphasis will be put into city-to-city co-operation.

The workshop organisers will select a maximum of three case studies that will be sent to participants in advance in order to prepare their discussion during the working groups sessions.

During this practical exercise, the participants will share their own experiences in problem solving and the national and international legal frameworks available in their local realities.

• Defining International Local Government Law. Prof. Gerald Frug, Harvard Law School.
• The City and the World. Prof. Yshai Blank, Tel Aviv University.
• Partnerships between local authorities within the European Union context. Sandra Ceciarini. Council of European Municipalities and Regions.
• International mechanisms for conflict resolution: United Nations representative. Dr. Hans Corell, former Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and the Legal Counsel of the United Nations
• National framework case studies: national regulation for local governments international action: France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Norway.
• The tension between central and local governments in relation to foreign policy and responsibilities in the international sphere. Speaker: D. Manuel Zafra, Director-General for Local Co-operation, Ministry for Public Administration, Spain.
• Working groups to solve previously submitted case studies.