National, regional and global Local Governments Associations (LGA) support the emergence of developmental local governments, i.e. local governments that act strategically to promote local development and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At their core are the original, if limited, functions of

• documentation and information clearinghouses and

• vehicles for exchange of experiences among members on municipal government issues and practices.

These functions continue to be important and LGA are often critical sources of information for their members, as well as for the central government and outside partners. They also continue to provide their members with a permanent forum for the exchange of experiences and best practices in local governance and services delivery. In time, however, Local Government Associations have been taking on two more substantive roles as

• lobbyists for local governments’ interests with central government and

• providers of an increasingly diversified range of policy, legal and technical advisory and capacity building services to their members.

Local Government Associations lobby and campaign for changes in policy, legislation and funding on behalf of their members, they represent their members in national policy development dialogues and often act as intermediary between central and local governments.

Regional and global networks of LGA have extended such representation of local governments interests and concerns to international forums and important milestones have been achieved through participatory efforts .