News

The UCLG delegation, led by the city of Nantes, has been following the second round of talks on climate change, which took place in Bonn, Germany from 31 May to 11 June 2010. This marked the first occasion since the COP 15 in Copenhagen last December where the Parties worked on the negotiating texts.
... + info

The UCLG delegation, led by the city of Nantes, has been following the second round of talks on climate change, which took place in Bonn, Germany from 31 May to 11 June 2010. This marked the first occasion since the COP 15 in Copenhagen last December where the Parties worked on the negotiating texts.
 
These two weeks allowed local governments’ representatives the opportunity to renew contact with national delegations and groups of States including: Mexico, Switzerland, Korea, Spain- currently holding the Presidency of Europe, Belgium, France, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo- as President of the African group, Central Africa, Gabon and others, and to thank them for their constant support in the negotiation process, especially in Copenhagen.

The delegation has also been closely following issues which are gaining importance in the negotiations and finding deeper agreement between Parties. One of these issues was the question of use and conservation of forests (REDD), which was watched by a representative of the city of Manaus, in the Amazon region, Brasil. Regarding the necessary education, training, and public awareness of citizens in the world as indicated in article 6 of the convention, local governments called upon the Parties to support the actions of cities in developing countries and the possibilities offered by the growing number of cooperation between north and south local governments, and to accurately integrate the efforts they produce in the communications that each country is supposed to deliver regarding reduction of gas emissions.

The recognition of the added value of the participation of observer organisations, including local and regional governments’ organisations, in the process was also at the heart of the discussions, within constituencies and Parties. Many States, including Mexico, host of the next Conference of the Parties, expressed their attachment to this participation in the process.

Although there has been some progress in the agreements on the main issues of a post-2012 agreement, with most parties willing to compromise to find an agreement for the end of the year and thereby avoid repeating Copenhagen, matters prove far more difficult when it comes to the text. As the talks ended, Local governments were still recognized in the main parts of the Convention text, but the future of this text has been questioned heavily and the Parties requested the proposal of a new text for the next session, which will be held during the first week of August, in Bonn.

Further talks, the final ones before COP 16 in Cancun, Mexico in December, will take place in China in October.
 - info

After more than 15 years of a worldwide campaign led by Bolivia, the United Nations recognized the right to drinkable water as a fundamental right.

The resolution was adopted with 122 votes in favor and 41 abstentions at the UN General Assembly.

This historic step voices deep concern ... + info

After more than 15 years of a worldwide campaign led by Bolivia, the United Nations recognized the right to drinkable water as a fundamental right.

The resolution was adopted with 122 votes in favor and 41 abstentions at the UN General Assembly.

This historic step voices deep concern on the 884 million people that do not have access to clean drinkable water and on the 2.6 billion inhabitants of the planet who have no access to basic sanitation.

The resolution calls on the States and international organizations "to offer funding and technology to help poorer countries scale up their efforts to provide clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for everyone".

The resolution also recalls the commitments of States members the UN within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals adopted in 2000.

For the members of UCLG, implementing this new human right needs however new governance practices that acknowledges the role of local governments in water supply and sanitation.
 - info

Secretary-General of UN Ban Ki-moon nominated Joan Clos, former mayor of Barcelona, Spain, and one of the Founding Fathers of the World Organization, as the next head of the United Nations agency tasked with promoting environmentally and socially sustainable cities and towns, a key partner of UCLG ... + info

Secretary-General of UN Ban Ki-moon nominated Joan Clos, former mayor of Barcelona, Spain, and one of the Founding Fathers of the World Organization, as the next head of the United Nations agency tasked with promoting environmentally and socially sustainable cities and towns, a key partner of UCLG on the international agenda.

Elected by the General Assembly on the 25th of August, Joan Clos will serve as Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) for a four-year term starting on 18 October.

Joan Clos would succeed Anna Tibaijuka, who has headed UN-HABITAT in 2001 and has been an important ally for the cause of local authorities before the international community.

Mr. Clos served as mayor of Barcelona from 1997 until 2006 and more recently he was industry, tourism and trade minister for Spain and then the country’s ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The Presidency, World Secretariat and Members of United Cities of Local Governments, are thankful to Anna Tibaijuka for the work accomplished together allowing for a greater recognition of local and regional government on the international stage, and they celebrate the nomination of Joan Clos.

In the era of cities a former mayor will be leading the cities agenda of the UN. His nomination is an important sign of the progress by local authorities in the international arena and of the work that UCLG and its members are carrying out worldwide.
 - info

The Summit of the Millennium Development Goals shall take place from 20-22 September 2010, at the United Nations General Assembly, at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

In the framework of the preparation of the event, a MDG Summit Outcome Document is being negotiated daily until ... + info

The Summit of the Millennium Development Goals shall take place from 20-22 September 2010, at the United Nations General Assembly, at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

In the framework of the preparation of the event, a MDG Summit Outcome Document is being negotiated daily until the end of July by national government representatives in New York.

Whilst the MDG Summit Outcome document recommends a number of actions in areas where it can be argued that local governments should hold greater responsibility, the references to local governments are disappointingly few. To see the report, please click here.

United Cities and Local Governments calls upon their members to write to national governments requesting that they give serious attention to the role of local and regional governments in writing their national MDG report, and asking them to consider our proposed amendments which focus on the areas of local ownership, the importance of governance and the cultural dimension of the MDGs.

In the links below you can download the model letter to national governments, and the proposed amendments:

to download the proposed amendments

to download the model letter

With a view to the September Summit, UCLG will also call upon local and regional authorities to engage in a global mobilization for the achievement of the MDGs.

 

 
 - info

During the Development Cooperation Forum held in New York on 29-30 June, Elisabeth Gateau, Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments, in the name of its members, stated the Key ... + info

During the Development Cooperation Forum held in New York on 29-30 June, Elisabeth Gateau, Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments, in the name of its members, stated the Key Messages of Local and Regional Governments on the area of Development Cooperation.

Amongst them was that the challenges of development are ultimately local, and that they cannot be solved without the knowledge, expertise, and empowerment of legitimate and accountable actors on the ground: local and regional authorities.

It was highlighted that a strong accountable local governance is a true accelerator of development, and proposed that 25% of the aid provided should be channeled through the sub-national structures to ensure greater efficiency.

 

The members UCLG, the united voice of cities, regional authorities and their associations across the world (in 136 countries), are leading the way in a variety of development and cooperation initiatives: South-South and triangular cooperation; Capacity building; Participatory initiatives such as City Development Strategies and Urban Strategic Planning; Advocacy activities before international donor and financial institutions.

 

To know more on this subject :

UCLG Policy Paper on Aid Effectiveness

UCLG Policy Paper on Local Finance for Development

 

 
 - info

From the 28th of June to the 1st of July, the city of Nantes hosted the fourth edition of the Global Forum on Human Rights in the City. The Forum, which was originally put forward by UNESCO, takes place every two years thanks to the support of the Greater Nantes Metropolitan agglomeration, the Loire ... + info

From the 28th of June to the 1st of July, the city of Nantes hosted the fourth edition of the Global Forum on Human Rights in the City. The Forum, which was originally put forward by UNESCO, takes place every two years thanks to the support of the Greater Nantes Metropolitan agglomeration, the Loire Region, the county of Loire-Atlantique, and the city of Nantes, and has been under organization, since 2008, of the International Permanent Secretariat on ’Human Rights and Local Government’.

Focusing on the question "In a world in crisis, what about Human Rights?", the Forum featured around thirty round tables and gathered a record 2800 participants- the highest number in the history of the Forum. The message which featured throughout all the debates was that ’none of the economical, social, food related and environmental crises could justify drawbacks in the safeguarding of human rights around the world. Far from being inevitable, these crises force us to rethink the implementation of human rights and to imagine answers for the future’.

The local government representatives gathered at Nantes recalled the importance of the solidarity networks which are created or strengthened at each Forum, and highlighted the fundamental role played by cities in upholding human rights. This makes it all the more of a priority to support the network cooperation encouraged by the world organization of cities, UCLG, as well as projects as the Global Charter on Human Rights in the City.

The UCLG Committee for Social Inclusion and Participative Democracy (CSIPD) organized a number of activities as part of the fourth edition of the Forum : a debate on the Global Charter-Agenda on Human Rights in the City, a round table on the European Charter for Human Rights in the City, and a preparatory meeting for the upcoming conference on the European Charter, which will be held in the city of Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina, from 7 to 9 October 2010.   

On the Global Charter-Agenda for Human Rights in the City

The Global Charter-Agenda for Human Rights in the City is a project supported by the UCLG Committee for Social Inclusion and Participative Democracy (CSIPD) and coordinated by the city of Nantes and the region of Pays de la Loire, whose aim is to encourage the implementation of local policy which supports human rights. Following a writing period (2007-8) and a participative debating period (2009-2010), the project shall enter the adoption and promotion phase following the III UCLG World Congress- the Local and Regional Leaders Summit, which will take place in Mexico City from 16-20 November 2010. The added value of the Charter-Agenda is that each of the Human Rights featured in the document is accompanied by an action plan which situates the actions of local governments with respect to the implementation of this right.

 
 - info

The Local and Regional Leaders World Summit, taking place in Mexico from 16-20 of November 2010 will be preceded by online discussions. The idea is to allow local and regional authorities and practitioners from different parts of the world to have a common place where they can raise questions, discuss ... + info

The Local and Regional Leaders World Summit, taking place in Mexico from 16-20 of November 2010 will be preceded by online discussions. The idea is to allow local and regional authorities and practitioners from different parts of the world to have a common place where they can raise questions, discuss issues, share experiences and work together to develop new knowledge.

A Summit should be an inclusive experience. It should gather thoughts and ideas from both UCLG members engaged in the work of the organization but also from a much broader audience that is equally interested in the work of local and regional governments around the world. In order to ensure this interaction, we are opening a series of on-line forums as part of the Summit’s website.

These forums will run from June until September 2010.

Weekly forums will deal with some of the topics that UCLG members have identified as important for the future agenda of local and regional authorities internationally. They have been organised under four categories, ’Promoting Innovation’, ’What should be the new Global Governance?’, ’The City in 2030’ and ’Climate Change and Local Governments’.

To know more about the Pre Summit Interactive Online Forums

JOIN US!

 
 - info