Deputy Mayor Dangol Calls for Decisive Role of Local Governments in International Partnerships

Brussels — Kathmandu Metropolitan City Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol has stressed that local governments should play a decisive, not merely symbolic, role in international partnership and investment programs.
Speaking at the Cities and Regions for International Partnerships 2025 Forum held at the European Union headquarters in Brussels (Dec 8–10), she said that local governments must be included from the project-design phase, ensuring real ownership and meaningful participation.
Dangol argued that development projects should be tied to local social and cultural values to ensure sustainability. She criticized past practices where local participation came only after decisions were already made, calling such involvement “mere formality.”
She outlined four pillars for the success of the EU’s Global Gateway initiatives: meaningful participation, resilience, connection with local values, and community-centered localization.
Stating that development should not create dependence or harm local communities, she emphasized that local governments are primary partners, not last-minute stakeholders, in international investment programs.
Representatives from EU member states, partner countries, and local governments participated in the forum. From Nepal, Dangol was joined by Chandragiri Municipality Mayor Ghanshyam Giri and Birendranagar Municipality Mayor Mohanmaya Dhakal.