Decentralization and Local Governance in Asia and the Pacific

UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre connects the region of Asia and the Pacific through a network of local knowledge that supports UNDP Country Offices in Decentralization and Local governance programmes.

UNDP's work in this area is guided by the rationale that an efficient, responsive, accountable and transparent local governance system is a key means through which the goals of human development, the main elements of which are articulated through the set of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) can be achieved. In this view, appropriate decentralization reform relies on a greater involvement of local government authorities in achieving better service delivery; and on local representative institutions in enabling citizens, especially the poor and the marginalized, to influence decision-making of direct relevance for their livelihoods.

UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok is therefore engaged, through policy dialogue and advice, analytical research, and capacity development in a series of regional initiatives supporting three particular policy areas:

• Strengthening Local Democratic Governance
• Achieving the MDGs at the Local Level
• Decentralized Governance in Conflict and Post-Crisis Situations

These activities are implemented in partnership with the United Nations Capital Fund (UNCDF), and are co-funded by the Asia Regional Governance Programme (ARGP).

Publications

	Women's Representation in Local Government in Asia-Pacific: Status Report 2010 This status report aims to deepen the understanding of progress made towards the Millennium Development Goal 3, Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women, by introducing a sub-national measure of women’s political representation.  This status report will form a baseline measure of women’s representation in local government in Asia-Pacific on a country by country basis, and it is planned to be updated every year until 2015 to support the national, regional and global status assessment and dialogue on the achievement of MDG 3. The report is a product of the partnership of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM, part of UN Women), United Cities and Local Government Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF).
	Local Governance and Climate Change: A Discussion Note This report identifies ways in which local governments can address climate change, both at the policy level and on the ground. It outlines approaches for national governments, development agencies and specialist climate change institutions to improve the performance of local governments in addressing climate change.
	The systems for representation at local level are of great importance in the overall governance agenda through their influence on the nature of representation and accountability and impact upon wider public outcomes. Designing Inclusive and Accountable Local Democratic Institutions: A Practitioner's Guide (UNDP 2008) documents the situation with respect to different forms of party political engagement in local elections as well as the outcomes that different electoral systems and affirmative actions can have in terms of improving participation and representation.
	(UNDP 2005) Fiscal Decentralization and Poverty Reduction primer intends to provide an introduction to the main principles of fiscal decentralization, to examine linkages between poverty reduction and fiscal decentralization, to briefly describe major comparative experiences, and to clarify UNDP's approaches and entry points. It should be read in conjunction with the UNDP Practice Notes on Decentralization, Local Governance and Urban/Rural Development and Public Administration Reform, which provide an overview of the broader issues and UNDP's position on these.
	(UNDP 2005) Local Governance in Tsunami Recovery: Lessons Learned and Emerging Principles has the purpose is to provide an analysis of lessons learned and emerging principles on the functioning of local governance in disaster recovery (and briefly relief and early recovery) – drawing primarily on experiences from the five countries most seriously affected by the Tsunami: India, Indonesia, Maldives, Thailand and Sri Lanka but also experiences from previous disasters.