Background

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals is only then possible if sub-national actors, close to the target groups, are empowered to work towards poverty eradication and sustainable development. Given that de-centralization and the devolution of power to local governments is a reality in most countries, it is this sphere of government which needs to redouble its efforts.However, many local governments lack the resources to govern as effectively as would be required to achieve the Millennium Development Goals locally. UN-HABITAT has identified national Local Government Training Institutes as potential key players in providing needs-based training for locally elected leaders and municipal managers in order to capacitate them to respond to the many challenges they face. Unfortunately, in most countries such training institutes are underfunded and their staff lack capacities to address the changing realities of local governments.

Objectives

National local government training institutions and international local government training networks and support structures strengthened to effectively respond to the training needs of local authorities as to con-tribute to human settlements development with a focus on local governance and urban development. Increased training and organizational development skills of local government trainers and managers in the areas of local economic development, gender, financial management, transparency urban envi-ronment and climate change.

Target group

Local Government Training Institutes