Over the last few years the debate on local governance has focused on how to:
• deepen democratic self-government and strengthen participatory forms of development;
• reform the state, modes of governance and methods of government so as to give citizens greater voice and influence in decision-making;
• enhance the accountability of government and the sponsiveness of public policies to the needs of the population, and especially the poor;
• increase the effectiveness of public policies and service delivery (the principle of ‘subsidiarity’);
• enhance social capital by fostering social cohesion and trust within local communities;
• provide dispute-resolution mechanisms to manage conflict peacefully at the local level.