The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) organized a series of online meetings from May 30 to June 6, 2024, accelerating preparations for this year’s Summit of the Future and next year’s World Summit for Social Development. These meetings aimed to align the Pact for the Future of Humanity with the Policy Councils.
The meetings were organized on different dates and topics:
- May 30, 2024: Right to the City: Reclaiming the Commons
- June 4, 2024: Opportunities for All: Redefining Finance and Economies of Equality and Multilevel Governance: Regaining Trust
- June 6, 2024: Resilient and Regenerative Territories: Renaturing and Local Multilateralism and City Diplomacy: Linking the Local to the Global
These sessions addressed important issues of UCLG’s Policy Councils and ensured the representation of local and regional governments’ perspectives in future global discussions. Since their establishment in 2017, the UCLG Policy Councils have contributed to UCLG’s agenda by facilitating discussions on significant topics such as the Right to the City and the New Urban Agenda.
At the “Resilient and Renewable Territories: Renaturing” meeting, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General Dr. Mehmet Duman emphasized the importance of resilience and urban diplomacy, stating, “Governance structures and international cooperation are evolving to amplify grassroots voices. Inclusivity and sensitivity are the keys to resilient systems.” Additionally, Abdullah Anati, the Executive Director of the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA), highlighted the silence of international institutions and organizations regarding the situation in Palestine.
These meetings provided a significant platform for strengthening UCLG’s global governance structure and ensuring more effective representation of local governments on the global stage. These initiatives of UCLG’s enable local governments to play a more active role in global issues. These meetings, held in preparation for the Summit of the Future and the World Summit for Social Development, will significantly contribute to shaping future strategies.