What will the world look like in 2030? Will the future be one of degraded ecosystems and entrenched inequalities? Or will new technologies and engaged citizens enable a shift towards more sustainable and socially just societies?

That’s what’s at stake with the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and other global initiatives, such as the Paris Agreement on climate action. Now in its fifth edition, UCLG’s Global Report on Local Democracy and Decentralization (GOLD V) provides an up-to-date mapping of how the global agendas are being implemented locally in some 142 countries (representing 86% of the world’s population).

The report lets the reader take stock of the progress that has been made as well as of the continuing gaps between rhetoric and action. The process of localisation is broken down by continent, with a special focus on the impact of decentralisation and multilevel governance.

The report finds that the active involvement of local and regional governments, as well as effective coordination and monitoring mechanisms, are key to ensuring a sense of collective responsibility to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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