LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. AN ILS LEDA SURVEY

Abstract

Since 1991, the United Nations, through various human development programs, has promoted and supported the creation of Local Economic Development Agencies (LEDAs). The history of these LEDAs has passed through a number of phases, with common and different characteristics during their evolution. This survey from ILS LEDA, the United Nations Programme dedicated to LEDAs, seeks to analyse LEDAs’ contribution to human development by considering five main aspects: reduction of poverty and exclusion, empowerment of local population and institutional actors in planning and implementing local economic development activities, empowerment of women in participating in economic development, environmental protection and promotion of the social and solidarity economy. The research makes clear that LEDAs have represented and continue to represent an important tool for implementing actions towards human development and, for this reason, the study makes an interesting contribution to those responsible for new development policies in a time of global crisis.

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