Organized under the auspices of the European Commission, Partnership Forum was held in Brussels, Belgium, on 25-26 June.

Opening and Introductory Meeting of UCLG-MEWA Pilot Project for Mapping the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Turkey was held on 3 July 2018, at UCLG-MEWA General Secretariat in Istanbul, Turkey; gathering the members of UCLG-MEWA Presidency, Committee on Local Governance, and Supervisory Board. The project is planned to be firstly undertaken in Turkey as a pilot work, which will later be disseminated throughout the MEWA region.

UN has set the theme for 2018 as "WithRefugees.” In line with dynamics of the region it operates, UCLG-MEWA supported and engaged in the activities and events during this year’s World Refugee Day.

In accordance with this theme, UCLG-MEWA invited all members for taking an urgent act on plastic consumption and waste production and raising awareness on the topic with using a #BeatorEatPlastic tag in their social media accounts to focus on the importance of beating plastic production and consumption.

United Cities and Local Governments World Organization (UCLG) held its first Executive Bureau meeting of 2018, on 23-26 May 2018 in the European Parliament, under the auspices of the City of Strasbourg.

Organized for the units and departments working on water and sanitation management in the municipalities of Palestine, the Training Program on Wastewater and Municipal Water Systems for the Municipalities of Palestine took place on 1-6 May 2018, in Istanbul, Turkey.

UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau Meeting & Panel on Participation and Entrepreneurship on the Axis of Gender Equality were held on 27-29 April 2018, in Balıkesir, Turkey; under the auspices of Karesi Municipality, member of UCLG-MEWA Committee on Gender Equality.

UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau Meeting took place on 27 April 2018, in Balıkesir, Turkey, under the auspices of Karesi Municipality. Hosting many participants from the countries of MEWA region, the meeting became the kick-off point for UCLG-MEWA's strategic plan for the 2018-2020 period.

“Energy Efficiency at Buildings and Design Principles” was discussed at UCLG-MEWA, within the scope of UCLG-MEWA Local Government Talks. Hosting Prof. Dr. Ümit Doğay Arınç as a speaker, the program took place with an intensive participation from public and private sectors.

In the Panel on Sustainable Cities Policies moderated by Mehmet Duman, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, Hasan Tahsin Usta, Mayor of Gaziosmanpaşa; Cahit Altunay, Mayor of Sultangazi; M. Tevfik Göksu, Mayor of Esenler; Adly Yaish, Mayor of Nablus and Hazem Al Naimat, Deputy Mayor of Greater Amman Municipality & President of the UCLG-MEWA Committee on Smart Cities addressed to the participants.

After the last meeting of the UCLG-MEWA Committee on Urban Mobility, held in Istanbul, on 4 November 2017, during TRANSIST 2017, members adopted the program of activities for 2018 which included the organization of the training on «Public Transportation Excellence Index» implemented by the President of the Committee, lstanbul Electricity, Tramway and Tunnel General Management (IETT)

United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG-MEWA) is continuing to organize awareness-raising campaigns. Within the context of 1 March, Zero Discrimination Day, UCLG-MEWA made a video with 11 different languages, using “butterfly,” the universal symbol of Zero Discrimination Day, to highlight the importance of the day, and reached wide masses on social media.

UCLG-MEWA is continuing the series of Local Government Talks in 2018. Ali Murat Duman, President of Istanbul Health Platform, became a speaker on Local Governments and Health, within the scope of its activities in the World Health Week.

Within the context of the World Health Week, United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG-MEWA) organized a blood donation campaign on 5 April 2018.

Co-organized by UCLG Intermediary Cities Forum and UCLG-MEWA Intermediary Cities Working Group, the mapping workshop took place on 15-18 March 2018, in Urla, the brand intermediary city of İzmir, Turkey.

Co-organized by the UCLG-MEWA and the Union of Municipalities of Turkey (UMT) and held under the auspices of Eyyübiye Municipality, President of the UCLG-MEWA Committee on Tourism, UCLG-MEWA Forum on Sustainable Tourism and Local Development took place with the participation of nearly 250 representatives from various countries including Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Morocco, Iran, Syria and Libya.

Gürkan Boztepe, President of Gastronomy Tourism Association (GTD), gave a talk on Gastronomy Tourism and Brand Cities, within the scope of the first UCLG-MEWA Local Government Talk in 2018.

UCLG World Organization and Regional Sections are continuing to organize programs on intermediary cities (i-cities), which are expected to host 50% of the world population in 2030. As one of the regional preparatory meetings on the way to I-Cities World Forum to be held on 5-7 July 2018, in Chefchaouen, Morocco; I-Cities MEWA Regional Forum, took place on 21-22 September 2017, in Nevşehir, a model i-city of the MEWA Region; with a wide participation and a comprehensive program.

9th Meeting of the Union of City Councils of Turkey was held on 17-18 February 2018 in Eskişehir, Turkey, with the theme "Rethinking Cities.”