In late September 2017 local authority and civil society actors from the municipalities in Germany held a first networking meeting in Offenbach am Main, near Frankfurt. They reported on the progress made in their dialogue on the 2030 Agenda, which they began in their respective municipalities and partnerships in January 2017. They also indicated what activities they are planning in order to implement the Agenda. It became clear just how innovative and diverse the work of their partnerships and their joint pilot measures are. Anna Konrad from the municipality of Gelsenkirchen, for instance, reported that her local authority and its partner municipality of Zenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be working together to harness solar power. Together with its Bosnian partner the municipality of Goražde, the city of Gera intends to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities. And Pfaffenhofen and the Serbian municipality of Valjevo intend to re-green sealed surfaces in both municipalities in order to help conserve biological diversity.
Various keynote presentations enabled participants to find out more about implementing the 2030 Agenda at the local level. Something participants also found helpful was the information on the support for their activities provided by the Service Agency, and what they need to bear in mind in that connection.