United Cities and Local Governments the Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG-MEWA) continues to be in close cooperation with the diplomatic missions to develop relationships between the local governments in the Middle East and West Asia Region.

The Policy Forum on Development (PFD), which was established by the European Commission as a consultation mechanism bringing civil society and local governments together to steer the development policies of the European Union, gathered in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi yürütücülüğünde birinci yılını tamamlayan Kapsayıcı Kent İnşası Amaçlı Sosyal İnovasyon Deneyi Projesi (POT-A) İstanbul Odak Grup Toplantısı’nda, UCLG-MEWA’nın da aralarında olduğu paydaşlar 11 Eylül Çarşamba günü bir araya geldi.

WRI Turkey Sustainable Cities Network hosted a meeting that was held on Friday, 6 September, where urban transportation and issues related to environment and energy were discussed with the participation of UCLG-MEWA.

Project of Inclusive Municipal Governance Report for Women and Girls, which will be carried out in collaboration of the Association for Supporting Women Candidates (KA.DER) and Argüden Governance Academy, was introduced on September 18 during an event held under the auspices of Marmara Municipalities Union with the participation of UCLG-MEWA, mayors, municipal representatives and other NGOs.

United Cities and Local Governments the Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG-MEWA) continues to be in close cooperation with the diplomatic missions to develop relationships between the local governments in the Middle East and West Asia Region.

From 9 to 10 September, the Secretariat of the UCLG World Organization and the UCLG Sections gathered in Barcelona, Spain to discuss the preparations for the UCLG Congress and to review the 5th Report issued by the Global Observatory of Local Democracy and Decentralization (GOLD) on the theme of “Localizing the SDGs”.

Mehmet Duman, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, paid a visit to Mounir Anouti, Consul General of Lebanon in Istanbul, Turkey, in his office on 26 July 2019 and briefed him about the ongoing works and activities of the organization.

In the framework of the EU-funded ‘Supporting National Institutions in Turkey to Mitigate the Impact of the Syrian Refugee Crisis’ project organized with the financial support of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Directorate General of Migration Management of Turkey, the EU and the Turkish Government, the event entitled ‘Workshop on Temporary Protection’ was held on 21-23 August 2019.

Salim Korkmaz, UCLG-MEWA General Coordinator participated in the 2nd Preparatory Meeting for the International Forum on Local Solutions to Migration and Displacement, which was held in Gaziantep, Turkey on 28 August, 2019.

The 27th WorldFood Istanbul Fair, the international meeting point of the food industry, was held on 4-7 September 2019, at TÜYAP Fair and Congress Center. Mehmet Duman, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, delivered a speech in the Panel on “Tips from Masters – Taste the Future!” organized within the context of this Fair.

UCLG-MEWA has participated in the international workshop among Kütahya Municipality and Pecs Municipality that was held in the framework of Town Twinning Program by EU Grant Scheme.

With the decision of the UCLG-MEWA Congress held in Amman on 9-10 July 2019, the Committee on Development Cooperation and City Diplomacy and the Committee on Local Governance were united under the name of “Committee on City Diplomacy and Local Governance”.

UCLG-MEWA visited Mansur Yavaş, Mayor of Ankara (Turkey), who was elected as the Ombudsman of the Organization for the 2019-2022 Term.

United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG-MEWA) is keen to develop its relationships with the local governments in the Middle East and West Asia Region and to promote and localize the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Within this context, UCLG-MEWA visited the Consulate of Palestine in Istanbul on 25 July 2019.

One of the eight sessions held during the Congress focused on “The Challenges and Opportunities for Big Data and Open Data for Local Governments”.

UCLG-MEWA continues to work ensuring a stronger representation for local governments in the MEWA Region.

On the second day of the 6th UCLG-MEWA Congress, members of the UCLG-MEWA Committee on Social Inclusion gathered in Amman, Jordan. Administrative Meeting of the UCLG-MEWA Committee on Social Inclusion included discussions on administrative matters related to the Committee, followed by a thematic panel entitled “The Role of Local Governments in Managing Migration.”

Fatma Şahin, Mayor of Gaziantep and UCLG-MEWA President for 2016-2019 term, visited the General Secretariat of UCLG-MEWA prior to UCLG-MEWA Congress which will be held from 9-10 July 2019 in Amman, the capital city of Jordan.

UCLG-MEWA continues to review its work with the Presidency Council. In this context; Vahap Seçer, who was elected as the Mayor of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, the cochairman of UCLG-MEWA, and Mayor of Yenişehir (Mersin) Abdullah Özyiğit visited UCLG-MEWA on June 14th.