Translating the millennium pledges into local action across Asia and the Pacific Suwon City, Korea, 25 May 2005 – Afghanistan, Indonesia, and economically vibrant China joined 10 other Asia and Pacific countries at a Local Government Development Institute (LOGODI) meeting in Suwon City this week to devise ways of localizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In a statement read on her behalf, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, urged participants to make a personal commitment to ensure realisation of the MDGs at the local level. The president of LOGODI, Mr. Lee Kweon-Sang, said Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) were playing a more important role in Korea, especially on the environment – an area where local governments are increasingly recognizing the need to develop stronger partnerships with civil society for long-term environmental strategies through participatory planning. Participants included members of Logotri, a network of Asian local government training organizations established by UNESCAP. The Chair of Logotri, Mr. Kim Heung-Re, who is currently President of the Korea Research Institute for Local Administration, said: “Thanks to widening and deepening political reforms, economic liberalization and the growing influence of civil society, increasing numbers of Asian countries are striving towards economic recovery and growth, sustainable development and decentralized approaches to local government.” However the workshop leader, Mrs. Marivel Sacendoncillo, Executive Director of the Philippine Local Government Academy (LGA) warned that this nascent economic growth could be in peril if Asia failed to strengthen the ability of its local governments to work efficiently and equitably with NGOs and civil society partners for pro-poor development. “This is in essence is what has brought us here today as policy makers, local government representatives and experts – to plan together how we may utilise the framework provided by the MDGs for the urban poor,” she said. The workshop 20-23 May arranged by UN-HABITAT’s Training and Capacity Building Branch, received financial support from The Netherlands, Korea and LOGODI.