• Public procurement reforms in rural local authorities in Zimbabwe

    Public procurement reforms in rural local authorities in Zimbabwe

    Prior to the introduction of the new procurement reforms in 2018, the public sector in Zimbabwe operated a centralised, corrupt, chaotic, and inefficient system which had a negative impact on good local governance and democracy. The ushering in of the new public procurement reforms in 2018 was a welcome development as it advocated for the…

  • How to plan for inclusive and sustainable urban transport: a toolbox to conduct a safety audit

    How to plan for inclusive and sustainable urban transport: a toolbox to conduct a safety audit

    Creating inclusive, safe and affordable transport for all is one of the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 11. It requires paying attention to the needs of vulnerable groups such as women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons. To achieve this goal, local governments need to understand the way vulnerable groups experience public transport on…

  • WhatsAppers for Social Good: Local Community Response to Covid-19 in Brazil

    WhatsAppers for Social Good: Local Community Response to Covid-19 in Brazil

    The so-called “WhatsAppers” constitute a local community of activists and concerned citizens who use WhatsApp to promote networks of solidarity in Brazil. Since the app’s launch,WhatsApp is increasingly appropriated for social good by activists, not only for “hanging-out” with like-minded people, but it has also become a key platform for twenty-first century politics, particularly in…

  • Information about ICLD

    Information about ICLD

    General information about ICLD. Two pages PDF

  • Information about municipal partnership

    Information about municipal partnership

    A municipal partnership is an international form of cooperation between a Swedish municipality or region and an international counterpart. The ultimate aim of the partnership is to strengthen democracy at local level.

  • Women’s quest to participate in local governance in Botswana

    Women’s quest to participate in local governance in Botswana

    This policy brief explores factors that affect the participation of women in local governance structures and investigates challenges that women face in their struggles to represent the voices of their communities. A qualitative research approach was applied in which five interviews were conducted with female mayors and councillors and secondary data was also included. The…

  • Human rights in Gaborone and Johannesburg: finding meaning in local context

    Cities are critical human rights actors. Human rights are interpreted through local culture, history, politics and context. Cities are increasingly at the heart of this process of interpreting and “localizing” (Camilo Sanchez 2020) for a growing share of the world’s population. How can we support the development of civic human rights initiatives in Southern Africa…

  • Localising the SDGs: a toolkit for local governments

    Localising the SDGs: a toolkit for local governments

    Local governments are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to creating a more inclusive world. This policy brief summarises four tools for civil servants and politicians to include the SDGs in their daily work.

  • Building Political Will to Combat Corruption

    Building Political Will to Combat Corruption

    Authors: Marcia Grimes, Oksana Huss & Ksenia Ivanyshyn (2021) Pervasive corruption presents a challenge to scholars, practitioners, and activists. This policy brief reviews academic and policy perspectives on political will in anti-corruption efforts. The importance of political will for the success of anti-corruption reforms is widely cited, but knowledge gaps remain regarding why political will…