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A year ago VNG International took the initiative to mobilise the community, academics and regional & local governments to draft a City Development Strategy (CDS) for the city of Halabja. The CDS is an instrument for guiding the growth of the city and to attract investments into the city. Thereby building better futures for the citizens of Halabja. On the first of February VNGi gathered the government entities, donor community and private investors to discuss this strategy.

On Tuesday, January 9th, the Ministry of Local Governance hosted the launch event of the Southwest Ramallah cluster, the second targeted cluster within the Sustainable Development through improved Local Governance (SDLG) program.

The Knowledge Exchange Conference, held in Luxor, Egypt, on 18 and 19 September 2023, brought together stakeholders in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector to discuss the challenges in service provision and the links to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Facilitated by Oscar Alvarado, the Environmental Expert and Programme Manager in The Hague Academy for Local Governance.

The programme aims to develop the knowledge and skills of government officials at subnational level in the field of decentralisation and local development, through international and local encounters in the Netherlands and Oman with high level speakers and senior experts. It is designed for all 11 Governors of Oman and the two Chairmen of Municipalities of Muscat and Dhofar, and is implemented from December 2022 to June 2023. <br />
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The wider objective of the project is increased institutional capacity to foster participation of women in decision-making in Libya especially on municipal level.<br />
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The specific objectives are:<br />
A.1) To support the Libyan Women Elected Officials Network to enhance its leadership position as a meaningful actor towards more gender sensitive policies and more representation of women. <br />

In this project, VNG International focused specifically on the development of public spaces and green infrastructure in the municipalities of Sarhan, Bal'ama and Um Al Jimmal, all located in the Mafraq region / Governorate. <br />
The overall objective of the project was to contribute to the development of new public green spaces via green infrastructure measures, which enhances locals' and refugees' quality of life and well-being. <br />

On 21 and 22 November the Closing Conference of the “Maintaining Strength and Resilience for Local Governments in Iraq and Lebanon” (MASAR) programme took place in Brussels
 

VNG International has successfully organized its validation workshop as a final step of the inception phase of its Sustainable Development through effective Local Governance (SDLG) programme in Iraq on May 31, 2022. This five year programme is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands, and implemented through VNG International Iraq office in Duhok.

The Strategic Partnership between the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and VNG International is 5-year programme, focused on 4 thematic priorities: Security & Rule of Law, Migration, Local Revenue Mobilisation, and Integrated Water Management. This programme, called the Sustainable Development through improved Local Governance (SDLG) programme, is currently being implemented in 9 countries (Burundi, Mali, Palestina, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, Iraq, and Mozambique). <br />