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.”

9th Session of the World Urban Forum took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with the participation of local government representatives from all around the world.

Awareness About Gastronomy Panel organized in the framework of the 23rd International Exhibition of the Mediterranean Travel and Tourism (EMITT) was held on 27 January 2018 at the Tuyap Conference Centre in Istanbul. Mr. Mehmet Duman, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, attended the Awareness About Gastronomy Panel as a speaker.

United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG-MEWA) organized the Retreat Meeting, on 18-19 January 2018, at Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe hotel in Istanbul.

Mr. Mohamed Saadie, Co-President of UCLG-MEWA and President of Union of Municipalities of Dannieh, visited UCLG-MEWA General Secretariat in Istanbul. In the meeting, Mr. Mehmet Duman, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, has briefed Mr. Saadie on the activities and events carried out by UCLG-MEWA.

UCLG-MEWA will organize a session on “The Role of Local Governments in Rural Development”

Mr. Nihat Çiftçi, Mayor of Şanlıurfa visited UCLG-MEWA General Secretariat in Istanbul, on 4 January 2018.