Annex E
UK GOVERNMENT WORK WITH BRAZIL, RUSSIA, INDIA
AND CHINA ON URBANISATION
Within the wider question of, "How effectively
are developing country governments and donors addressing the challenges
presented by urban poverty?" this briefing summarises
"How the UK Government/wider Whitehall networks are influencing
and helping the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, China) (especially
India & China) with the challenges and opportunities of urbanisation."
1. RELEVANT PUBLIC
SERVICE AGREEMENTS
(PSAS)
Government action on urbanisation and poverty
in BRICs countries mainly falls under three of the 30 new
PSAs,[40]
as follows:
A more secure, fair and environmentally sustainable
world[41]
PSA 27Lead the global effort to avoid dangerous
climate change
(lead Defra (now DECC))
PSA 28Secure a health and natural environment
for today and in the future
(lead on sustainable development—Defra, delivery
partners include CLG)
PSA 29Reduce poverty in poorer countries through
quicker progress towards the Millennium Development Goals
(lead DFID, delivery partners include HMT, FCO, Defra)
The UK government also supports the eight UN
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Of particular relevance to
this enquiry is the MDG 7 target, "to achieve significant
improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers
by 2010".
2. OVERVIEW
There is considerable activity between the UK
government and BRICs countries addressing the challenges and opportunities
of urbanisation and poverty reduction, but this has evolved under
a variety of programmes. Levels of involvement in each country
are very different, depending on the nature of bilateral relations
and historic ties. Language is also a factor, as historically
it has been easier to develop links with India than the other
BRICs countries. UK departments are also involved in a wide range
of multilateral donor programmes. Thus, there is no coordinated
urban programme, but a large number of relevant initiatives.
The main focus on poverty reduction and urbanisation
has been in India, where DFID and its predecessor, the former
ODA, have had a long-term commitment that has focused on delivery
of basic urban services and municipal capacity building. India
is the only one of the four BRICs countries to be a DFID bilateral
focus country. India is DFID's largest country office, and DFID
has well-established programmes both at national and state level,
notably the Urban Services for the Poor programmes in West
Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Other recent programmes
have looked at micro-finance, SME support, and the poorest areas.
In China, the extent and speed of urbanisation
has resulted in a growing environmental awareness. In 1997, China
published a national report on sustainable development which introduced
for the first time the idea of "harmonious development between
man and environment", now a key policy. The UK's bilateral
activity with China has expanded significantly over the last five
years, with a focus on sharing experience to promote "harmonious
development". In this context the UK-China Sustainable Development
Dialogue, a cross-government initiative led by Defra with active
involvement of CLG and DFID, has been important. In addition,
the UK is making a major contribution to the World Expo 2010 in
Shanghai, with its theme of Better Cities, Better Life,
and the FCO's Strategic Programme Fund is active in China, with
27 projects listed in autumn 2008.
In Brazil and Russia, bilateral urban programmes
have been more muted, pursued principally under the FCOs Strategic
Programme Fund. Russia is an emerging donor, so recent focus has
been on partnership. In Brazil there is a significant opportunity
for south-south (and south-north) learning around the country's
innovative programmes in participatory urban governance and slum
upgrading. For example, participatory budgeting has been operating
in some Brazilian cities for about 20 years and is now being
piloted in the UK. At present much of the debate on these programmes
remains in Portuguese so is not widely accessible. The next World
Urban Forum (UN Habitat's biennial event) is being held in Rio
de Janeiro in March 2010, probably around the theme of the Right
to the City, which would be a good opportunity to strengthen
links; at the last two WUFs the UK delegation included a minister
but was otherwise small.
Climate change is an important new policy focus,
which although not specifically "urban" has an urban
dimension. There is considerable activity in the run-up to the
United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2009 (Copenhagen
Conference), which will review a replacement for the Kyoto agreements
that expire in 2012. DECC has taken over from Defra in running
the joint programme with DFID on climate change. Other smaller
initiatives on climate change include the FCOs Strategic Development
Fund and the climate change debates promoted by the British Council,
both of which have included the BRICs countries.
UK departments are involved in many multilateral
initiatives that address urban challenges and opportunities, for
example Cities Alliance a multi-donor initiatives working through
the World Bank Trust Fund, and the OECD's Territorial Development
Policy Committee which has an urban workstream.
The sections below give more detail of these
initiatives.
3. SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUES[42]
Lead—Defra, working with CLG, FCO, and
DFID.
Defra has lead responsibility for the UK's sustainable
development strategy, and as part of its remit is developing an
initiative of the former PM, to establish dialogues on sustainable
development with the emerging economies of China, India, Brazil,
South Africa and Mexico.
The Sustainable Development Dialogues (SDDs)
seek to encourage mutual learning on incorporating sustainable
development values into government policy. The aims are to deliver
commitments made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development
(Johannesburg 2002), to help fulfil the MDGs, and strengthen UK
international leadership on sustainable development, an objective
of the 2005 sustainable development strategy.[43]
Work plans with China and Mexico have been agreed, and are being
developed with the other countries.[44]
The budget was £11 million over four years.
3.1 UK-China SDD
UK-China SDD, launched in 2005, is progressed
through prime ministerial and ministerial summits. The Chinese
partner is the Ministry of Housing and Urban and Rural Development
(formerly the Ministry of Construction). The UK lead has been
Defra working closely with CLG and DFID China.[45]
The SDD focuses on four themes: sustainable consumption and production;
natural resource management; sustainable urban development, and
capacity building and governance for sustainable development.
An MoU on Sustainable Cities was signed
during the PM's visit to China in January 2008, which sought to:
1. Support the creation and implementation of
Dongtan eco-city
2. Set up partnerships between the Dongtan Institute
for Sustainability and Thames Gateway institutes for Sustainability
and Urban Renaissance.
3. Create a "virtual academy" to promoting
innovation on sustainable development
4. Conduct collaborative research studies on
urban regeneration and low income urban housing
The projects on "housing for low-income
families" and "urban regeneration" are nearly complete,
with support from the cities of Sheffield, Glasgow, Nanjing and
Wuhan and case studies of best practice. Draft recommendations
are being finalised, and these will be published in either Hong
Kong or China later in 2009. A project has been completed with
Yunnan Province to share best-practice in industrial resource
efficiency and waste management. A new theme of financing for
sustainable development is proposed for 2009.
3.2 UK-Mexico SDD
An MoU for the UK-Mexico SDD was signed in 2006,
and a work programme agreed in 2007 around six priorities:
national governance for sustainable development; climate change
and energy; sustainable tourism; sustainable consumption and production,
sustainable urban development and/or sustainable cities, and natural
resources management. The Mexican partner is the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, and UK lead is Defra working with the FCO in Mexico City.
Three levels of coordination are envisaged: ministerial meetings,
senior management, and expert working groups.
Sixteen projects have been initiated over a
three-year period. As reported in June 2008, 12 were current,
of which three had an urban focus: a) promoting "transit-oriented
development" in Mexico City; b) a sustainable urban study
for the Metropolitan Urban Region of the State of Nuevo Leon,
and c) closure of municipal dumps in Neuvo Leon. The dialogue
also encourages south-south learning between participants.
3.3 UK-India SDD and UK-Brazil SDD
Agreements have been signed and the programmes
are being developed.
4. WORLD EXPO
2010, SHANGHAI: BETTER
CITIES, BETTER
LIFE
Expo 2010 is a major event in Shanghai
from 1 May—31 October 2010. According to the Expo
2010 website,[46]
"Shanghai hopes to build a powerful and lasting example of
sustainable and harmonious urban living"; 186 countries
and 47 organisations have confirmed participation, and 70 million
visitors are anticipated. Preliminary events are being held in
different countries.
Coordinated by the FCO, the UK pavilion and
programme will aim to provide an upbeat message about global engagement
and help position UK business in a crucial emerging market to
gain profile, and encouage trade links between China and the UK.
The programme will also support debate on wider themes such as
more eco-friendly urban environments and low-carbon growth. Up
to 50,000 visitors a day are expected to the UK pavilion.
From the public sector, core sponsors include: FCO, UKTI, British
Council, BERR, Defra, DCLG, DIUS, English Regional Development
Agencies; and DCMS, and from the private sector AstraZeneca, Barclays,
BP, Diageo and GKN. The budget for the pavilion is £13.8 million,
including £1.8 million contingency, with costs being
borne by FCO, UKTI and the British Council. City councils and
private sector partners are being encouraged to participate, for
example London and Liverpool are in discussions about contributing
to the Urban Best Practice Area. The Core Cities group,
a network of major regional UK cities—Birmingham, Bristol,
Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield
will also be involved.
5. DFID COUNTRY
ASSISTANCE
DFID has four priority policy areas: climate
change; international reform; promoting growth and peace and security,[47]
and works toward delivery of the MDGs in 22 bilateral focus
countries.
India is the only one of the BRICs countries
to be a bilateral focus country and is DFID's largest country
programme, with a planned budget of £825 million over
the period 2008-11. There is a significant urban dimension to
the India country programme, focussed on the provision of basic
urban services and municipal capacity building. Of note are the
well-established Urban Services for the Poor programmes in West
Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
China is now a middle-income country,
and DFID's bilateral programme is being wound down. The focus
is on partnership working in areas where the UK has particular
expertise, for example through the UK-China SDD (Section 3.1 above).
DFID is collaborating with DECC on climate change, and with the
WB and ADB on the Clean Energy Investment Framework and the Climate
Investment Funds in China.
Russia now having upper-middle income
country and G8 membership status, DFID closed its bilateral
development programme in Russia in March 2007. Russia is an emerging
donor, so DFID is working with the WB and EC on coordinating aid,
and public administration reform. Brazil is also an upper middle-income
country, but with a highly inequitable income distribution. The
bilateral programme was phased out by March 2006, but DFID is
working regionally with the World Bank and IDB.
DFID also supports multilateral or other partners
other agencies implementing urban projects. Examples include:
— Cities Alliance, which has worked extensively
on City Development Strategies and other project in China, Brazil,
India and the Russian Federation. The UK is one of 16 country
members of Cities Alliance.
— Community-led Infrastructure Finance
Facility (CLIFF) which seeks increase poor urban communities'
access to commercial and public sector finance for infrastructure
and housing, by providing bridging funds.
— Slum Upgrading Facility (SUF) run through
UN Habitat which supports city governments in enabling the provision
of low-income housing.
6. WORLD URBAN
FORUM: WUF3,VANCOUVER;
WUF4, NANJING
The World Urban Forum is the biennial open event
for UN-HABITAT. For the last two WUFs, CLG and DFID have combined
to provide the UK presence and CLG has taken the lead. Baroness
Andrews attended WUF3 in Vancouver in June 2006, and Ian
Wright attended WUF4 in Nanjing in November 2008. Otherwise
the UK input was limited. WUF5 is in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil
in March 2010; discussion on the UK's participation is on-going.
7. FCO'S STRATEGIC
PROGRAMME FUND[48]
The FCO's Strategy Refresh introduced the Strategic
Programme Fund in 2007, replacing the Global Opportunities Fund,
2003-07. It has 11 programmes, three of which have an urban
dimension, outlined below.
7.1 Climate Change and Energy (2007-08 budget
£4.5 million)
This programme seeks to strengthen evidence
and encourage policy development to mitigate climate change, and
create an enabling regulatory environment to encourage investment
in a low carbon economy. Eligible countries include Brazil, Russia,
India and China. Programmes in the BRICs countries have included:
— India—Promotion of biofuels—for
electrification in remote settlements.
— Russia—Building Capacity for
Effective Implementation of the Kyoto Protocol in the Kuznetsk
Coal Basin—to increase awareness of greenhouse gas reduction
opportunities mining, power generation and chemical industries;
an energy statistics training programme run by International Energy
Agency (IEA).[49]
— China—Enhancing Energy Data
Quality and Transparency—aimed to work in partnership
to improve data collection and training of statisticians.
— Brazil—Local Renewable Energy
Model Communities—to improve energy sector governance
in three Brazilian pilot cities: Betim, Belo Horizonte and Porto
Alegre.[50]
The Betim pilot is run by ICLEI:Local governments for Sustainability,
and has built demonstration energy-saving houses.
7.2 Human Rights (2007-08 budget £2.9 million)
The Human Rights Programme supports policy priorities
under International Priority 7: "Promoting sustainable development
and poverty reduction underpinned by human rights, democracy,
good governance and protection of the environment", and aims
to promote respect for human rights. Priority countries for different
parts of the programme include China, Russia and India. Projects
include:
— India—Promotion of biofuels—for
electrification in remote settlements.
— Liaoyuan Detention Centre Monitoring
Project—a pilot bringing independent monitors into a
detention centre.
— Combating torture: Brazil—helping
train the judiciary, police and prison staff to identify and report
cases of torture.
7.3 Sustainable Development (2007-08 budget
£1.4 million)
The Sustainable Development Programme contributed
to UK sustainable development objectives by focusing on: improving
environmental governance, promoting growth and supporting livelihoods,
and achieving more sustainable forest management. Brazil is one
of the priority countries
8. DEPARTMENT
OF ENERGY
AND CLIMATE
CHANGE (DECC)[51]DECC
was set up in October 2008 taking over responsibility for
climate change from Defra. The Climate Change Act came into force
in November 2008, which aims to help the UK's transition to a
low carbon economy in the UK, and to demonstrate international
leadership by the UK leadership in tackling climate change.
Internationally Defra/DECC have been working
through the EU, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), with a particular focus on the creation of a durable
post-2012 agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol. The next
major event is the United Nations Climate Change Conference 7-18 December
2009 (Copenhagen Conference).
The International Environmental Transformation
Fund (EFT) is a £800 million joint DFID/DECC fund set
up in 2007, and the Climate Investment Funds are multi-donor partnerships
(see Section 5.2). A UK-China climate change working group has
been established, and various projects in India are looking at
technology transfer between developed and developing countries.
9. BRITISH COUNCIL
The British Council promotes debates on three
core themes: the creative and knowledge economy; climate change,
and intercultural dialogue. Many of the initiatives include several
countries and are often promoted in collaboration with Commonwealth,
EU or other partners. Some of the initiatives have urban relevance.
Themes under the Society Programme include: law and human rights;
gender equality; economics and management; ethnicity, communities
and social inclusion; governance and information, and participative
democracy. The My City initiative will be launched in Istanbul
in 2010 during celebrations for the European Capital of Culture,
as part of the European Commission's Cultural Bridges Programme.
China[52]
The British Council in China is the Cultural
and Education Section of the British Embassy. Projects include:
— Low Carbon Futures—part
of the global climate change security project.
— Sino-European Public Administration Project
(with the European Institute of Civil Service).
— Sino-British Unemployment Insurance Project
(UIP) (completed Jan 2006).
— Sino-British Social Innovation (3-year
project with China Centre for Comparative Politics and Economics,
and the Young Foundation).
— COMPACT Project (with the NGO Research
Institute of Tsinghua University, exploring the UK model of cooperation
between government and the third sector).
India[53]
Projects in India include Intercultural Dialogues,
and Low Carbon Futures.
— Low Carbon Futures—focus
on mitigating the effects of climate change in urban environments—developing
networks and resources.
— Intercultural Dialogue—aims
to engage new constituencies in India and the UK in debate and
exchange.
Brazil[54]
Projects include work on the 2009 World
Economic Forum, on human rights and governance, and inter-regional
dialogue. An inter-regional conference on "Protecting Rights
and Delivering Justice" was run in Brasilia, in September
2009.
Russia[55]
The British Council in Russia is participating
in the international Creative Cities project, launched
in spring 2008, which aims to give young, influential people the
tools to transform their cities. It works in partnership with
public and private organisations, and is identifying cities in
the UK, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Russia. An event on Urban
Regeneration—Innovation not war was held in December
2008 with the Russian Centre for Contemporary Architecture.
10. OECD'S TERRITORIAL
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
COMMITTEE (TDPC), OECD
Various UK departments contribute to the OECD's
Territorial Development Policy Committee, its main international
forum on regional policy, which has working parties on: urban
areas, rural areas and indicators, to which various UK departments
contribute, including CLG, ONS and DG Environment, Scotland. It
is mandated to focus on three themes: generating regional competitive
advantage; promoting effective and innovate governance, and developing
policy-relevant indicators. The OECD is increasing its engagement
with non-member emerging economies, and has undertaken projects
in Brazil, China and South Africa, including a study in 2008 to
improve the competitiveness and governance of the Cape Town Region.
11. OTHER INITIATIVES
There is a wealth of international activity
promoting by the UK professional institutes and their associated
charities which addresses the challenges of urbanisation. Many
of the built environment institutes have a strong international
presence, working through either regional offices or through cooperation
agreements with country affiliates, for example the Royal Institute
of Chartered Surveyors, Royal Town Planning Institute, Royal Institute
of British Architects, and Institution of Civil Engineers.
There are also many built environment special
interest groups and NGOs, for example: Engineers Against Poverty;
RedR UK; Practical Action; Engineers without Borders; Engineers
for Overseas Development; WaterAid UK; Article 25 (formerly
Architects for Aid); Architects Sans Frontiers; Architecture for
Humanity; Build Action (surveyors); RTPI International Development
Network; the umbrella group—BOND (British Overseas NGOs
for Development); Commonwealth Local Government Forum; Commonwealth
Engineers' Council; Commonwealth Association of Planners; Commonwealth
Association of Architects, and Local Government International
Bureau. The devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland also
support overseas initiatives. There has not been time in this
enquiry to research their specific activities in the BRICs countries.
City governments also have initiatives in emerging
economies, for example twinning arrangements between major cities
in the UK and China.
40 The 30 cross-government PSAs were introduced
in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review as the basis for
government spending from 2008-11; each has a lead department with
named departments as delivery partners. Back
41
HM Treasury (2009) PSAs-A More secure, fair and environmentally
sustainable world, http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pbr_csr07_psaenvironment.htm Back
42
Defra (2009) Sustainable Development Dialogues, http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/international/dialogues/ Back
43
Defra (2005) Securing the Future: Delivering UK sustainable
development strategy, London: Defra. Back
44
Defra (2008) Departmental Report 2008, page 34, http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/deprep/2008/2008-deptreport.pdf Back
45
DFID (2009) Key facts: China, Department for International Development
(DFID) http://www.dfid.gov.uk/countries/asia/China-facts.asp£Sustainable%20_development Back
46
Expo 2010 Shanghai China, http://en.expo2010.cn/oe/indexn.htm Back
47
DFID (2008) Development 2008: Making it happen, DFID Annual Report,
London: DFID (page 14)
Departmental Strategic objectives:
- "promote good governance, economic growth, trade and
access to basic services;
- promote climate change mitigation and adaptation measures
and ensure environmental sustainability;
- respond effectively to conflict and humanitarian crises
and support peace in order to reduce poverty;
- develop a global partnership for development (beyond
aid);
- make all bilateral and multilateral donors more effective;
- deliver high quality and effective bilateral development
assistance; and
- improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation." Back
48
FCO (2009) Strategic Programme Fund, Annual Report 2007-08, Foreign
and Commonwealth Office (FCO), London: The Stationery Office,
http://www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/4103709/5476465/5550005/5550012/strategic-programme-fund-07-08 Back
49
FCO (2009) How the Russians improve their energy statistics, http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/fco-in-action/casestudies/330-energy-stats-former-cis Back
50
FCO (2009) Energy-saving houses in Brazil, Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (FCO), http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/fco-in-action/casestudies/energy-saving-houses-brazil Back
51
DECC (2009) International action: working with developing countries,
ttp://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/internat/devcountry/index.htm Back
52
British Council (2009) China: Home Page, http://www.britishcouncil.org/china Back
53
British Council (2009) India, http://www.britishcouncil.org/India Back
54
British Council (2009) Brasil, http://www.britishcouncil.org/brasil.htm Back
55
British Council (2009) Russia, http://www.britishcouncil.org/Russia.htm Back
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