Government officials met at the UN general Assembly in New York 7th June to discuss the 'Zero' draft document to be negotiated in advance of the Millennium review Summit, 20-22 September. Few references to the role of local government are being made in the draft document.

The draft text focuses on how various crises - the economic downturn and climate change – are impacting the ability of poorer countries to make progress in achieving the global poverty targets. It presents broad commitments in relation to each of the eight MDGs.

Despite calling on 'stakeholders at the local, national, regional and global level to join us in redoubling efforts to ensure that the Millennium Development Goals are met in 2015' (para 15) the current document makes weak references to local government role in the more substantive parts. We find one good proposal relating to MDG 3 on Gender equality to 'invest in women's leadership in local decision-making structures' (para 44.e) and second couple of references relating to improving slums and responding to urbanisation but with an odd emphasis on responding to this through 'rural development' policies (paras 49.g and 49.f).

The United Cities and Local Government world body is involved in a UN High level panel preparing for the Summit and therefore should have an opportunity to push for a stronger emphasis on building local capacity in relation to promoting good governance (para 10), as well as to deliver greater aid effectiveness towards achieving the MDGs on the ground. It is the first draft and therefore a lot to play for. We hopefully have an opportunity to try and bring more relevant commitments to the document.

Fundamentally the draft text does not appear to offer much in the way of anything new - bar the stronger focus on climate change and macro-economic concerns. The largely 'soft' language is focused on trying to persuade governments to deliver on what they have already agreed. Whether governments will be able to deliver the necessary level and quality of aid, deliver freer and fairer trade, and galvanise the support of local government, non-governmental and private sector partnerships, vital to deliver the MDGs over the next five years, remains a critical test for the success of the Summit.

For more information on the MDGs Summit of September, please visit the UN website.