Source: undp.org

Following to the success of the I World Forum of Local Development Agencies "Territory, Economy and Local Governance: New Perspectives for Times of Change" that took place in Seville in October 2011 and gathered some 1.300 participants of 47 different countries, the II World Forum of Local Economic Development will be held in Brazil (Foz de Iguazú) from 28 to 31 October 2013.

On January 25th 2012, the organizing institutions of the II World Forum of Local Economic Development, namely the Technological Park of ITAIPU in Brazil, the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (SEBRAE), United Cities and Local Governments/ the Andalusian Fund of Municipalities for International Solidarity (UCLG - FAMSI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the ART Initiative and the Democratic Governance Group, organized a working session at UNDP Brussels to present the II Forum to key European partners, discuss and receive suggestions on the topics of the Forum.

During the meeting, it has been highlighted the relevance of Local Economic Development Agencies (LEDA) as tool for competitive and sustainable economic development, through matching competitiveness, social equity and environmental balance.

The general objectives of the II Forum are to:

• facilitate a global dialogue between territories on Local Economic Development (LED);
• promote the development of public policy of LED and instruments for their implementation including civil society and the private sector;
• evidence the relevance of the territorial approach for a local development integrating the three pillars of Sustainable Human Development;
• generate a global arena for the presentation and exchange of experiences, good practices, visions and innovations on LED.

Finally, the organizing institutions shared the roadmap for 2013, which includes, among other moments, the World Social Forum 2013 (March in Tunis), the Assises of Decentralized Cooperation (April in Brussels), the UCLG Executive Bureau (June in Lyon), the III Forum of Peripheral Local Authorities (June in Canoas, Brazil), and the UCLG World Congress (October in Rabat).

We would like to gather inputs and good practices in order to inform the topics of the panels that can be shared in the digital platforms, please go to: http://www.foromundialadel.org/