The WFLED

The World Forum on Local Economic Development (WFLED) is part of an open working process that brings together a strong multi-stakeholder alliance of committed governments, national and international organizations, who recognize the potential of the local economic development and work together to advance the debate and strengthen a global partnership for specific actions. This process allows for concrete cooperation and joint actions that can help land the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the local level.

A broad coalition of partners

The WFLED is a multi-stakeholder coalition whose objective is to promote the local economic development approach and advance political debate and strengthen global partnerships for concrete actions at local, national and international levels. Since the beginning of the process, an increasing number of organizations, often of very different nature, have joined the process, contributing their perspectives, experiences and knowledge to jointly fight poverty and inequalities and promote employment and decent work.

A platform for dialogue and co-creation

The WFLED has established itself as the main platform to capitalize on the accumulated experiences in LED, in order to explore the relevance and possibility of application of different models, tools and practices. It encourages multi-stakeholder partnership and coordinated action at global, regional and local levels. Its general objective is to promote the 2030 Agenda and address the challenges associated with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the local level. To this end, the WFLED promotes knowledge exchange, learning and the co-creation of inclusive local economic development policies.

Concrete results

Over the years, the forum process has achieved notable results:

  1. Consolidate LED as an important conceptual framework to promote the formulation and implementation of policies at the local level for sustainable local development, including a focus on decent work.
  2. Establish a strong multi-stakeholder alliance from national and local governments, LRG associations, the private sector, civil society and academia.
  3. Link LED with the SDGs and the local application of the 2030 Agenda.
  4. Promote the strategic value of integrated LED schemes as a means to localize the SDGs.
  5. Promote alternative and more inclusive economic models, such as the Social and Solidarity Economy, the Circular Economy or the Green Economy, etc.

International Executive Committee

The International Executive Committee is composed of the Andalusian Fund of Municipalities for International Solidarity (FAMSI), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the Organization of United Regions (ORU-Fogar), and the Global Fund for City Development (FMDV).

The Secretariat

The WFLED Secretariat, under the umbrella of FAMSI and reinforced by its status as presidency of the UCLG Local Economic and Social Development Committee, fulfills the functions of dynamization and technical secretariat of the WFLED Knowledge and Alliances Hub, favoring the consolidation of the process, work between forums, global alliances, technical support work for different events, the development of face-to-face spaces for work, exchange and collective construction and the maintenance and management of the virtual platform.