Observatorio de Cooperación Descentralizada | Unión Europea | America Latina

Decentralised Cooperation depends on the national contexts and can benefit from supporting programmes.

In order to situate and better understand the decentralised cooperation initiatives taking place today in each country and region, and in order to be able to operate in this field, it is useful to be aware of certain issues to do with the context of such projects, among them the distribution of powers between the different levels of government and the legal framework that determines the conditions in which sub-state authorities are recognised as having the right to engage in international activities, as well as the nature and content of the programmes to support decentralised cooperation.

 
System of information on powers and legal frameworks of decentralised cooperation

An understanding of the other party is essential in any cooperation partnership and in implementing joint projects. This is especially true when the local and regional realities are linked institutionally in a very different way in the various countries involved and when the distribution of powers and resources also varies, thus determining the opportunities for external action and decentralised cooperation.

The Observatory is drawing up country profiles that describe the local organisation and financing and the distribution of powers, with a special emphasis on local and regional powers relating to cooperation and international relations. These profiles make up the system of information on powers and the legal frameworks of decentralised cooperation that is available for consultation in the "Toolbox" section.

 
Programmes of support for decentralised cooperation

Technical and financial aid to support the external action of local and regional stakeholders may be provided by multilateral bodies that have set up specific forms of aid for decentralised cooperation or through programmes run by national cooperation agencies or associations of municipalities to encourage decentralised cooperation initiatives. In addition, there are regional and provincial institutions that provide support to the municipalities in their areas.

The Observatory has drawn up a catalogue of records of programmes as part of the Funding guide that will gradually be expanded and can be consulted on-line in the "Toolbox" section of the website.