Progress in local democracy must be measured in terms of improvements to quality of life. After all, local governments are ultimately judged on their ability to meet the needs of their citizens. Basic services are fundamental to improving living standards and, in general, local governments have the responsibility for their provision. Even when local government institutions are not officially assigned responsibility for basic service provision, they often deal with the health, economic, social and environmental consequences of unmet basic needs. Improving the delivery of basic services has been a key component of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aim to eradicate extreme poverty worldwide. The issue of basic services will also be central to the Post-2015 Development Agenda. With this in mind, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) has dedicated this Third Global Report on Local Democracy and Decentralization (GOLD III) to reviewing the current state of basic local service provision across the world.