Local and Regional Governments in action in June
United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
UCLG represents and defends the interests of local and regional governments on the world stage. Headquarters: Barcelona.
Welcome to your monthly update on UCLG’s efforts to amplify the voice of local and regional governments in global discussions!
Policy Councils
The Policy Councils have been essential in shaping UCLG’s political priorities and nurturing the agenda of our World Organization, ensuring a stronger alignment of our priorities, and have also allowed us to acknowledge new topics that have emerged in the new reality. The results of the discussions of the Policy Councils have fed the contents of the Pact for the Future.
In May and June, our four Policy Councils met, including political leaders and partners, to set their priorities for the current mandate, addressing new issues, and laying the groundwork towards the @UN Summit of the Future, particularly through the UN Secretary General Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments.
Four meetings with:
These priorities will aim to influence the outcomes of the UN Summit of the Future and the 2025 World Summit on Social Development.
Urban 20
Hosted by S?o Paulo, co-chaired by Prefeitura Municipal de S?o Paulo and Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro , and co-convened by C40 Cities and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) , the Summit brought together city representatives and key partners, including Ambassador Antonio da Costa and G20 Brasil 2024 Sous-Sherpa Felipe Reis.
City leaders called for coordinated efforts with national governments to address challenges such as promoting food security through urban agriculture and meal distribution programmes, prioritising affordable housing, unlocking financing for sustainable urban development and establishing mechanisms for city participation in intergovernmental processes.
The mayor of S?o Paulo, the host city, Ricardo Nunes , highlighted the urgent need for strong and concrete action in cities, particularly in the face of the challenges of climate change. The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes , underlined the essential role of cities in economic growth and the need for direct access to international funding.
Kevin Austin from C40 Cities and Emilia Saiz from United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) stressed the importance of rapid and scalable action by cities to address climate change and social justice, urging #G20 leaders to recognise and support city-led initiatives.
The second 2024 U20 Mayors Summit will be held in November in Rio de Janeiro.
In parallel to the U20 meeting, two other important events were underway. The Metropolis, World Association of the Major Metropolises Annual Board of Directors met on the theme "At Home in the Metropolis: Providing Decent and Affordable Housing", focusing on solving urban housing problems and ensuring decent and affordable housing for all, especially young people. Simultaneously, the ICLEI World Congress 2024 celebrated the role of local government networks in promoting global sustainability through multi-level action and cooperation, highlighting the crucial importance of local initiatives in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
More information here.
UCLG at the SB60 Bonn Climate Conference?
UCLG participated in both the 60th sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB60), which focused on the lessons learned from COP28 and will shape the agenda for the upcoming COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan in November 2024. SB60 coincided with Daring Cities 2024, co-convened by ICLEI and the Federal City of Bonn, where UCLG was also present.
?? A few highlights stemming from the SB60 Bonn Climate conference and ICLEI Daring Cities!
?? Urban Loss and Damage Dialogue – From research to action (June 5th): Convened by United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH and in partnership with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), ICLEI, C40 Cities and UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme). UCLG presented the "Local and Regional Governments' Positioning Paper on Loss and Damage". This year-long effort brought together the voices from those impacted by loss and damage at the local level with the technical and political voices needed for a just response, emphasizing the essential role of local and regional governments in implementing climate policies grounded in justice and equity.
?? CHAMP Endorsers Roundtable: Building on the outcomes of COP28, the partners discussed the progress of the CHAMP initiative in enhancing cooperation between national and local governments. Integrating the local perspective into #NDCs is a crucial step towards achieving the #ParisAgreement goals. This roundtable was held in the framework of Daring Cities, and it brought together national governments supporting champ and the partners implementing the initiative.
?? Insights for Multilevel Action – Plenary: Convened by the COP28 and COP29 High-Level Climate Action Champions where Mayor Georges Youssef of Menjez highlighted how hashtag #multilevelgovernance and the hashtag #CHAMP initiative can accelerate climate action.
?? UNFCCC Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action: We engaged in a dialogue on multilevel partnerships for enhanced NDCs. Razan Al Mubarak presented three key recommendations for city, state, and regional leadership in NDCs: co-design, co-implement, and co-finance. Nigar Arpadarai introduced the COP29 Action Agenda’s “Five Pillars of Harmony” emphasizing integration and synergy in climate action. Axel Grael, Mayor of Niterói, stressed the need for a comprehensive rethink in climate disaster-affected regions and Brazil's emergency climate plan.
More information here.
Shaping our Future Conference
The Shaping Our Future Conference in Utrecht, organized by Gemeente Utrecht and VNG International highlighted youth involvement in local governance.
This event brought together local politicians, youth representatives, and other stakeholders to discuss innovative solutions for increasing the influence of young people in decision-making processes.
The goal was clear: to develop actionable recommendations that strengthen youth engagement in local government strategies, ensuring their voices are integrated into policies at all levels. These recommendations will be presented to the UN Secretary General's Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments ahead of the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024.
More information here.
Start of Online Course on Decentralized Cooperation & SDG localization
Together with PLATFORMA , we launched the 2nd edition of the online course named Localizing the SDGs through Decentralized Cooperation: tools for projects, policies, and partnerships. With over 150 participants, available in English, French, and Spanish, this course offers:
Learn more here.
#LearningWithUCLG
The Working Group on Institutional Issues meets for the first time
Building on one of the recommendations from the external assessment that UCLG underwent, and following the debates of the World Council in Konya, the UCLG Executive Bureau in San José mandated the creation of a Working Group on Institutional Issues.
To contribute to develop a flexible and adaptable governance, including decision-making processes, in their development and transparency, as well as the general rules that should reflect the life of the Organization, the Working Group met for the first time in June to start framing discussions around the rules of procedure; the representation for the membership; and the best way to advance in the relationship with the UCLG Sections.
Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener, Co-President of UCLG is the Chair of the Group, with? Bheke Stofile, President of SALGA and Co-President of UCLG; Anders Knape, Councillor of Karlstad and Executive President of CEMR;? Beno?t Pilet, Deputy Mayor of Angers on behalf of Cités Unies France; and Ms. Nino Rukhadze, Member of Tbilisi City Assembly and Director of the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG) making up the entirety of the Group
The Working Group will continue to meet during the year to continue to develop this agenda, and will report their developments to the UCLG World Council in October this year.
UCLG Members Set up BRICS+ Cities to ensure interlocution with the BRICS summit
The BRICS+ Cities held its founding meeting on June 21, hosted by Mayor of Kazan, Ilsur Metshin. UCLG President U?ur ?brahim Altay and representatives from the UCLG Sections attended the session, emphasizing the importance of the initiative as a milestone towards the economic growth, development, and advancement of cities. BRICs+Cities will allow for enhanced interlocution capacity of local and regional governments with the multilateral system.
Launch event: Planning with the SDGs Training with UN Habitat?
With over 170 participants attending online, UCLG and UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) launched the updated SDG Localization Module 2: Planning for Change with the SDGs. This module provides essential tools for local and regional governments to integrate SDGs into urban planning. It is a unique opportunity to explore practical examples, interactive tools, and get expert insights to drive sustainable development #SDGs.
Together, let's plan and build a better future for all!?
More information here.