The Millennium Development Project

It is often small steps that lead to great changes. During the 1990s the number of people with access to hygienic toilets increased by one billion. By the year 2015 the number of people who do not have access to clean water will be halved. These are changes that take place locally – often through municipal interventions.

Swedish municipalities and county councils actively support these developments, partly through practical interventions in partnership with twin-towns in Africa, Asia and the former Eastern Europe, partly by being present and discussing democracy issues in these twin-towns.

During 2009, SKL International will be developing a programme with two objectives. The first goal is to give municipalities and county councils a tool with which to spread information, knowledge and interest in development issues. The second goal is to strengthen the same local and regional players in their international development work.

The focus of this work will be the Millennium Goals for human development. All countries in the world have undertaken to strive to halve poverty by the year 2015 and moreover reach a number of other clear targets concerning for instance child mortality, access to clean water, education and equality.

The idea is that municipalities and county councils who strive to make a contribution to reaching the Millennium Goals will receive a form of certification, i.e. become a “Millennium Municipality” or a “Millennium County Council”. This work is based on a concept drawn up in the Netherlands but adapted to suit Swedish conditions. During 2009 SKL International will work together with a number of pilot municipalities and county councils to make the programme as good as possible.

Hopefully, the first Millennium Municipalities and Millennium County Councils will receive their certification at the end of 2009.