Commonwealth Local Government Forum members have pledged to develop partnerships with business, the private sector and development agencies to encourage and improve economic development. The Cardiff Consensus for Local Economic Development, developed at the Commonwealth Local Government Conference in March 2011, also commits local government to become more strategic when developing local infrastructure, tourism and services.

It sets out four key actions to enable local government to play its full role in local economic development:

• Providing a clear national framework for local economic development;
• Creating an enabling environment;
• Developing local strategies; and
• Partnerships with the private sector and others.

The Consensus will be sent to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) for endorsement later this year. Their agreement will drive local and national policies and practice for local economic development in Commonwealth countries.

In addition to the Cardiff Consensus, an important outcome of the Commonwealth Local Government Conference Cardiff 2011 was the focus given to youth entrepreneurship. Fifty young professionals from across the Commonwealth participate in the Young Professionals Forum and put forward recommendations focussing on involving youth as partners in local decision making; providing quality education, skills and employability; investing in youth entrepreneurship and entreprise; enabling environments for business and youth civil society. To view the final report and recommendations from the Young Professionals Forum click here