Local policymakers have a critical role to play in developing more resilient and inclusive economies, particularly because they are well-positioned to take a more integrated approach to tackling complex challenges and seizing new opportunities. This requires local partners to collaborate and work closely in innovative ways, whilst also re-examining the relationship between local and national policymakers.

The 11th Annual Meeting of the OECD LEED Forum on Partnerships and Local Development will bring together local and national leaders, policy makers and practitioners to discuss how inclusive growth can be built from the ground up. They will take inspiration from the achievements of Manchester in setting out a shared vision for change, and from the UK government’s endeavour to devolve powers in a way that matches local capacities and aspirations. International participants will bring their experience in building coalitions for jobs and growth, and learn from concrete case studies, site visits and peer-to-peer exchange.

How

3 plenary sessions will bring together international leaders on topics to discuss local leadership for inclusive growth, new approaches to local economic development, and growth through people.

12 interactive workshops will allow for the opportunity to explore key topics more in-depth, such as global events as catalysts of economic development, scaling up social entrepreneurship, local skills strategies, early years interventions and many more.

Pre-event activities will also offer the opportunity to explore the economic history of Manchester, including through a walking tour of the city.

Project visits: participants will learn directly from a range of projects based in Manchester and discuss their work with staff and service users.

Local Initiatives Forum: a networking session where participants can present their work and network with peers from other countries.

Who

The 11th Annual Meeting of the OECD LEED Forum on Partnerships and Local Development will bring together some 250 representatives of local partnerships, government officials, public employment services, local leaders, youth organisations, social entrepreneurs, business representatives, and academics.

Where

The Forum will be held in Manchester, a city-region which has recently secured a landmark devolution agreement with the UK Government.

‌The meeting will be held at Manchester Town Hall, United Kingdom, one of the most iconic landmarks in the city and one of the most important Grade 1 listed buildings in England.

When

The meeting will run from the morning of 25th June to mid-day 26th June, with pre-meeting activities the afternoon of 24th June.

Contact

For further information about the event, please see the new FPLD website or contact the OECD Secretariat.