African School on Decentralisation (ASD) 2024

The theme for the Fourth African School on Decentralisation (ASD) is ‘Decentralisation and Human Rights’. The 2024 ASD will examine whether, and if so how, decentralisation can create favourable conditions for the protection and realisation of human rights on the African continent, and how local governance can be informed by human rights.

Human rights are not just a national government issue. Local and regional governments are critical actors in respecting, protecting, realising and promoting human rights. They govern and regulate local spaces, and impact the rights of individuals and groups. They deliver services that are essential for human dignity and development, and impact the environment.

Flowing from the international, regional and domestic frameworks for human rights, the 2024 ASD will cover themes such as –

• how civil and political rights (democracy, accountability, transparency) underpin good local governance
• how group rights (language, culture) and the protection of marginalised groups (children, persons with disability, LGBTQ) underpin local government policies
• how local governments pursue gender equality
• how socio-economic rights (water, sanitation, housing, shelter and food) shape municipal service delivery
• how the right to a healthy environment for current and future generations informs how municipalities regulate and manage land, service and mobility
• local governance and implementation for human rights: right-based planning, budgeting, delivery and reporting

The course will be offered in Cape Town, South Africa. It will be presented by leading experts in the field from a regional and international perspective. The course includes lectures, interactive discussions, case studies and study visits. It offers a platform in which African practitioners, academics and activists can be educated and encouraged to innovate and experiment, and to learn from one another in order to address the challenges in the implementation of decentralisation. Participation also offers entry into a Pan-African Network of decentralisation practitioners. The ultimate goal is to advance good governance in local government in Africa.