A Global Forum on Local Government aimed at identifying the role of local government in fighting poverty, promoting local governments, as well as accelerating progress towards achieving MDGs, opened yesterday in Kampala.

The three-day Forum will draw on the experience of the least developed countries and middle income countries to highlight promising practices, and present challenges and opportunities for optimizing the local government system to spur development.

Local Government Minister, James Musoni, is among the participants alongside Rwanda’s High Commissioner in Uganda Maj. Gen Frank Mugambage.

The forum which is held under the theme: "The Global Forum on Local Development: Pursuing the MDGs through Local Government,” is expected to develop strategies appropriate for their context to strengthen their Local Government systems’ performance potential in achieving these goals.

The forum comes shortly after the just ended UN Summit on MDGs in New York.

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