“The Brazilian territory and the frontiers of development” is the theme of this document, which summarizes the second of five seminars planned in the Federal Pact cycle: Municipalities for the 2030 Agenda. This series of debates, which began at the end of 2019, aims to contribute to Brazilian political governance and to the project of a sustainable Brazil, guided by the principle of greater balance in the autonomy of federated entities.

The central aim of this series of meetings is for municipalities to effectively exercise the autonomy and leadership guaranteed by the 1988 Constitution, and to deliver to society the full potential they are capable of promoting towards the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The debate about territory is paramount insofar as it delineates the areas of action for local governments. The expression "think globally, act locally," which inspired Agenda 21, resulting from the 1992 Earth Summit, already signaled how necessary the leading role of territories is – the space where policies are effectively implemented.

Faced with the challenge of increasing the protagonism of municipalities, the panelists at this seminar point to clear directions: establishing interconnections between local and global agendas, participating in new governance arrangements through consortia and partnerships, and mainstreaming the SDGs into local policies in order to promote the well-being of people and the regeneration of ecosystems.