Kourosh Moghtaderi, cultural attaché at the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran, visited UCLG-MEWA General Secretariat, on 26 April 2019.

The 3rd International Environmental Conference IREMCON was held on 28-29 March 2019 in Istanbul Expo Center.

UCLG-MEWA continues to follow the developments and programs related to the thematic areas under its committees. We were at the 6th Istanbul Carbon Summit.

Members of the UCLG-MEWA Committees on Development Cooperation and City Diplomacy, and Environment, two of the committees of UCLG-MEWA established in the thematic areas, gathered in Ramallah, Palestine, on 15-16 April 2019.

10th edition of the Energy Efficiency Forum and Exhibition, one of the most important energy efficiency events in Turkey, took place in Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center, on 11-12 April 2019, under the auspices of Republic of Turkey Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources

The fourth World Cities Congress İstanbul’19 that was organized between 13-15 March 2019 in Yenikapı Eurasia Exhibition and Art Center.

The Mayor of Tunis and the accompanying delegation visited UCLG-MEWA General Secretariat on 14 March 2019, right after participating in the session on “Sustainability in Smart Cities” moderated by Mehmet Duman, UCLG-MEWA Secretary-General, and organized within the context of the World Cities’ Congress Istanbul 2019.

Within the framework of the “Municipal Know-How Programme for Host Communities in the Middle East” and “Qudra Programme”, a two-day study tour, as well as a subsequent two-day project workshop jointly organized by UCLG-MEWA, GIZ-Qudra, and Connective Cities, on 12-15 February 2019, in Berlin, Germany.

Head of European Union Delegation to Turkey Ambassador Christian Berger, Mrs. Marilena Berger, and the accompanying delegation visited UCLG-MEWA General Secretariat on 23 March 2019.

UCLG-MEWA Retreat was held on 26-27 February 2019, in Istanbul, with the participation of UCLG-MEWA Presidency, UCLG-MEWA Committee Presdents and strategic partners. The meeting which built on the strong institutional structure; came forward with emphasize on being “inclusive, informative and interactive.”

2019 edition of UCLG Annual Retreat took place on 11-15 February 2019, in Barcelona, Spain. The annual meeting gathered the UCLG Presidency, Secretariats of Sections and Committees, as well as the representatives of the Policy Councils and key partners around thematic workshops and policy discussions..

Organized within the context of the localization of the Agenda 2030 defined by the United Nations, the Pilot Project was completed. Closing Meeting of the “Pilot Project on Mapping the SDGs in Turkey”, a joint project funded by World Academy for Local Government and Democracy, brought representatives of the hosting municipalities, officials from the central government and many NGO representatives together.

The UCLG-MEWA delegation, headed by Mehmet DUMAN, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, paid official visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), between 20-22 January 2019, in order to strengthen institutional relations.

Policy Forum on Development (PFD) Task Team Meeting continues in the City of Brussels, Belgium. Members of the PFD Task Force, including UCLG-MEWA, came together to review the current agenda and to discuss the PFD roadmap.

Kartepe Summit was organized for the second time under the auspices of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, on 26-28 October 2018, with the theme “Migration, Refugees and Humanity.”

UCLG-MEWA organized another episode of UCLG-MEWA Local Government Talks, with the Talk by Dr. Kamalin Shaath, former President of the Islamic University of Gaza, and Chairman of Hope Foundation for Education, on 23 October 2018, in its General Secretariat.

Sustainable Development Goals, which highlight that development should follow a more sustainable pattern, is now at the agenda of municipalities in Turkey.

Within the framework of the “Municipal Know-How Programme for Host Communities in the Middle East” and “Qudra Programme”, a workshop was organized on 8-10 November 2018, in Istanbul, Turkey, by Connective Cities, GIZ-Qudra and UCLG-MEWA. 47 representatives from Turkish and German municipalities participated in the workshop, which was held with the theme “the Options of Refugee-Friendly Municipalities towards Integration and Social Cohesion.”

Istanbul International Environment Summit, this year under the theme "Transformation for Livable Environment", organized by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, has started today at the Avrasya Show and Art Center in Istanbul.

UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau and Council Joint Meeting and UCLG-MEWA Urban Mobility Şanlıurfa Summit were held on 20 November 2018 in Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality. The roadmap of UCLG-MEWA for 2019 was created in the meeting where approximately 350 participants from 17 countries gathered.