Read excerpts from interviews with the PFD co-chairs
Discussion details
In the lead up to the regional PFD in Lima, Jacqueline Moustache-Belle and Jorge Balbis took some time to share their perspectives on the PFD. You can read excerpts from these interviews here!
From the Interview with Jacqueline Moustache-Belle:
What do you hope to achieve via the PFD and why did you decide to get involved and even beyond, co-chair the PFD?
I am very enthusiastic to accept the role of co-chair. I think with support of colleagues we will be able to do a lot. The PFD facilitates the dialogue with the EC and makes me better equipped to share and explain to people how they can relate to these organizations. The fact that I hold other positions in international fora gives me an edge to grasp as much as possible. The post of co-chair is of great benefit.
There are few women mayors, so I am particularly proud to be participating as an elected official who is a woman. I take every opportunity to promote the advancement of women, as co-president of UCLG and Member of AIMF (Association internationale des maires francophones).
2014 is a particularly strategic year in the EU process - with both the new EU programme and the global development agenda. The PFD should be a space to exchange with stakeholders on a vision and action plan for 2014, and to facilitate the involvement of local stakeholders from the EU and partner countries. It is a space where we seek to promote agreement on the global development agenda and EU development agenda.
The international community will define the post-2015 agenda and sustainable development goals in the next two years. We expect that the PFD would give us the opportunity to share with the EU our vision on the future global development agendas.
Urbanization is one of main challenges of the development agenda for the coming decade. We will advocate for a stand alone sustainable urbanization goal for 2015. This is so important because almost 2/3 of humanity will live in cities in the coming 20-30 years. The ability to feed and house them is of major concern for 1.5 billion new urban dwellers. Business as usual is not an option. We have to transform patterns of production and consumption. It is critical that the PFD focuses on this dimension of development.
What makes the EU PFD different from other policy fora?
The PFD is focused on national government and institutions, civil society, LAs, and EU institutions - putting local governance at the heart of the discussion. It is one place where the EU focuses on empowering local authorities - strengthening capacity and supporting local governments, civil society participation, more strategic partnership with national, regional and international organizations of local authorities. It is essentially where we put all the players together.
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