Centering Care to Bring the ICPD Agenda to Life at the Local Level

In a series of talks with champions of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) agenda – which puts the dignity and human rights of every individual at the centre of development – we spoke with Emilia Saiz, the Secretary General of United Cities and Local Government (UCLG), a global organization of local and regional governments with more than 240,000 members representing 70 per cent of the world’s population.

1. Why is it important to UCLG that the ICPD agenda is brought to life for the 5 billion people you serve across rural and urban communities, towns, cities and regions?

The international municipal movement that UCLG represents has always had equality at the heart of its agenda and considered the empowerment of women and girls worldwide as a critical lever for development and local democracy.

Localizing the Programme of Action of the ICPD is essential to structurally address inequalities in all kinds of contexts, considering their multidimensional roots and the different forms they take in regions, countries, cities and neighborhoods, also depending on socioeconomic background, gender, age, race, ethnicity and abilities.

We are excited about partnering with UNFPA, as it will further support local and regional governments to localize the shared vision agreed upon 30 years ago at the ICPD, and catalyze a more inclusive, empowering and caring development for all.

2. As the governments that are closest to the people, local and regional governments are best placed to champion inclusive, resilient societies where the rights and choices of every individual are at the centre of development.

In the face of complex crises, increasing pressure on shared resources, and polarizing forces seeking to limit individual rights, how can local leaders and mayors champion a broader commitment to people-centred development?

Over the past few years, local and regional governments have redefined and leveraged care as a solid lever to guide decisions and policy making to protect historically excluded people that suffer the most from the social, economic and health disruptions of crises. Care has proved to empower local populations for more resilient and sustainable cities and communities. 

Providing care through both traditional and new public services is crucial to address the historical and deeply entrenched inequalities around the gendered distribution of care and domestic work, which was further deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Caring in local policy making means redefining the exercise of power. Many of our members are embodying and fostering a renewed leadership driven by placing the needs of women and girls at the centre. We revitalize democracy with boys and girls everywhere equally empowered and with men and women pushing for an agenda that leaves no one behind.

3. As more people move to urban centers over time, new strategies will be required to improve the urban future. UCLG constituents have adopted notable good practices, such as centering care in local policy making as well as the fruitful strategies of the Feminist Municipal Movement.

What are key lessons from these strategies that are useful for scaling up implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action with the future of cities in mind?

The feminist leadership approach, rooted in care, is critical to governance and policy making, and advances three main commitments that will support the localization of the ICPD agenda. 

The first commitment is to foster the involvement of women and structurally marginalized groups in policy making. This includes involving them in crisis recovery and climate-responsive task forces and committees and elevating their voices at decision-making tables at all levels. One way UCLG does this is through its Standing Committee on Gender Equality, and its Townhall Caucus on Feminism, two key mechanisms through which the voices of women and diverse groups are listened to. 

The second commitment is to take an inclusive and caring approach, which puts people and the planet at the center, in all local policies, actions and planning. And our third commitment is to advance a new social contract, to better safeguard our planet and to protect our global commons, decent livelihoods and the integrity of all living beings.

4. The need for collective action to safeguard gains and increase the pace of progress towards achieving the ICPD agenda and sustainable development goals cannot be overstated. For UCLG, what is the value of partnering to advance the ICPD agenda?

As a global constituency representing billions of creative human beings around the globe, we can only ensure a caring humanity for all by working together.

Our movement is committed to working with the UN system, national governments, the international community, women’s groups, grassroots and indigenous organizations, civil society, the private sector, and other stakeholders in taking decisive steps towards achieving equality and the 2030 Agenda. 

We are committed to listening and co-creating policy with communities through structural dialogue and interaction with organized civil society constituencies, allowing stakeholders at different levels to collaborate with our political leadership. Our philosophy is that local governments’ seat at the table needs to be the seat of local communities as well.