CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: 2nd Annual National Postgraduate Student Conference on Local Government & Urban Governance

Posted: 25 June 2021

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require states to strive towards safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable cities (SDG 11). This aspiration resonates well with the South
African Constitution, the National Development Plan as well as the country’s Integrated Urban Development Framework. However, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to stall progress
and to roll back previous gains towards the fulfilment of the SDG 11 aspirations, as seen from rising inequalities as a result of the economic decline brought by the pandemic.

South African municipalities are hard hit by this global health emergency due to dwindling revenues and other social and environmental disruptions. Although cities immensely benefited from many opportunities offered by urbanisation, they face significant challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an urgent need to look at innovative law, policy and management approaches to ensure that municipalities recover and does so sustainably.

The South African Research Chair in Cities, Law and Environmental Sustainability (CLES), at the Faculty of Law, North-West University, and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) invite the submission of abstracts for the virtual 2nd National Local Government & Urban Governance Postgraduate Student Conference. The conference will explore perspectives on issues in law, urban governance, local governance, public administration, governance theory and environmental management related to the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the safety, resilience, inclusivity and sustainability of the cities and towns of South Africa. Ongoing Masters and Doctoral degree candidates as well as scholars who recently graduated with postgraduate degrees (2019/2020/2021) are invited to submit abstracts not exceeding 200 words. Submissions on any aspect of law, governance and management pertaining to municipalities during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa will be considered.

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