Yerel Yönetimlerin Yoksullukla Mücadeledeki Yeri: Küresel Düzeyden Yerel Düzeye Yeni Yönelimler

Abstract

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) estimates that around one billion people worldwide live under conditions of extreme poverty with under one dollar per day, cannot meet their basic human needs, and that at least one billion people live in relative poverty. This means more than one third of the world’s children are malnourished, more than 840 million adults, including more than half women, are illiterate and 1.2 million live without access to safe drinking water. This painful picture of global poverty clearly demonstrates that poverty has become a more chronic problem than ever before. Due to this situation, local governments have become more involved in the struggle against poverty recently. As a matter of fact, for various reasons, local governments can take an active role in the fight against poverty. However, local governments often lack data and information to identify causes of poverty, prioritize interventions, or target specific groups of the poor. Previously ignored by central planning, local governments have had little experience in the preparation and implementation of development plans. Inadequate delegation of power, disproportionate allocation of resources, or poor coordination between sectors further limited the capacity of local authorities to meet local needs. Limited downward accountability also limited the action of the political will of the newly authorized authorities. In short, local governments and local interventions have not been able to gain the deserved place and power in effective anti-poverty policies for a long time, but where they can play a more effective role in contemporary anti-poverty policies all over the world.