Sustainable development, first defined in 1987 in the report “Our Common Future”, aims at a balanced and fair management process in order to meet the current and future needs by considering the resource capacity of the planet. Sustainable development, which prioritizes especially the coherence between development and nature, requires the joint effort of all institutions, regardless of management level.

With the motto of “Development starts at the local level”, UCLG-MEWA continues its efforts to increase local initiatives for sustainable development and support the capacity development of institutions. In this regard, the Organization determines its regional strategies for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at the local level, as in the Millennium Development Goals, and mobilizes its members in this area. The committees established in different thematic areas within UCLG-MEWA act as the engines of these studies.