The South Korean Ambassador to Uganda, Park Jong-Dae has pushed for integrated governance at the local government level as a way of streamlining the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Ambassador Jong-Dae said that there is need to bridge the existing gap in information dissemination from the national level to the grass roots which is likely to frustrate poverty eradication.
The diplomat was speaking Monday during the 3rd Inclusive and Sustainable New Communities (ISNC) project meeting at Golf Course Hotel.
The meeting brought together representatives from ISNC participating countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Bolivia, Vietnam, Lao DPR, Myanmar as well as development partners UNDP and KOICA.
The ISNC project, based on the Korean ‘Saemaul Undong’ Model is being implemented in Uganda by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government where communities identify their needs but also go ahead to provide their own resources to meet these needs.
It seeks to revive Uganda’s traditional ‘Bulungi Bwansi’ where people living together in communities engaged in communal activities.
“It is very important that the ISNC project is understood and implemented because it is very crucial for countries like Uganda in enhancing development to overcome poverty and move into middle income,” Ambassador Jong-Dae said.
However, the Ambassador noted that localizing SDGs in Uganda is still hampered by governance at the district level.
“Local governance needs to be improved. Many policies that have been formulated at the global and national level but are not undertaken when it comes to local level,” he said.
“There’s a disconnection between the centre and the locals who are supposed to be implementing these programs to make the difference. Information does not filter through quickly.”
Asumpta Tibamwenda from the Ministry of Local Government told ChimpReports that in the districts of Luuka, Maracha, Bunyangabu and Kabarole where the ISNC project has been piloted, the impact has been impressive.
“There’s good impact. Especially the small benefits in terms of people working together to afford solar power for their houses, aggregated income generating projects and building a vocational school in the case of Maracha district,” Tibamwenda said.
She however recommends that the project be scaled up to increase its visibility so that its benefits can accrue to more people.
In addition, she noted the need for the academia to interest themselves with the development model so as to make it a hybrid home grown solution.
The UN Resident Coordinator in Uganda, Rosa Malango underscored the role that ISNC projects are playing in reversing environmental degradation by sensitizing communities on its the importance.
Some of the approaches to this include encouraging beneficiaries to use energy saving cook stoves and the sustainable briquets.