The Workshop on Social Cohesion and Municipalities; Opportunities and Future Outlook was held on 21-22 December 2022 in Ankara. The event was organized by the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (TBB), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Ministry of Interior, and the Directorate General of Migration Management of Türkiye.
The event started with the opening speeches of TBB Project and Finance Manager Cemal Baş, Deputy Representative of UNHCR Türkiye, Daniela Cicchella, and Directorate General of Migration Management of Compliance and Communication Dr. Gökçe OK. The topics such as “foreigners and national legislation,” “social cohesion and experiences of municipalities,” “communication in multicultural environments,” “access to projects and financial resources,” “city councils and participatory approach,” and “social cohesion and SDGs.” were discussed during the workshop.
Muhammed Furkan Çalışan, UCLG-MEWA Project Assistant, presented a PowerPoint on Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), the local monitoring mechanism of SDGs, and social cohesion relations in the session titled “Municipal Services and Sustainable Development Goals.” After briefing the participants about the SDGs, the features and benefits of VLRs were shared with them. Especially in the MEWA region, the importance given to refugees by the VLRs of Amman and Sultanbeyli Municipalities was emphasized. It was presented to the participants that VLRs are an ideal tool to share the social cohesion efforts of cities and the problems they have experienced in the global arena.