The second day of the UCLG Retreat focused on listening to different UCLG members and partners and their reflections on how to deploy the Pact for the Future.
One of the most relevant groups participating in the discussion is the Permanent Working Group on Capacity and Building, a technical platform for professionals from Local Government Associations, represented by Neila Akrimi, from VNG International. Akrimi advocated for a stronger role for local governments and a reinforcement of the UCLG’s membership capacities.
The President of the Habitat International Coalition, Adriana Allen, referred to UCLG as a compass not only for the local governments, but also for academia, and other stakeholders. She stressed that the UCLG should focus the attention on girls and boys, the struggles of ordinary citizens, then feminist research to acknowledge women, and address legacy and issues from the past, such as colonialism.
The Secretary General of UCLG Eurasian regional section, Rasikh Sagitov, mentioned the SDGs localization efforts in his region, as well as the challenges to strengthen climate action and resilience. The Secretary-General of UCLG MEWA, Mehmed Duman, shared memory of the recent death and injured numbers in Syria and Turkiye after an earthquake. He stressed the role of UCLG in supporting and facilitating exchange in cooperation in relief and later recovery and reconstruction. UCLG MEWA is also facing the highest levels of migration. The group is working on advocating for cultural rights, democracy, and decentralization.
From UCLG Africa, Rahmatouca Sow Dièye, mentioned that in this time of wars and conflicts, it is not common in the international arena to have all stakeholders from all countries at the table and be able for all of them to speak and work together. “We need to be more democratic in order to have a better future”, she stressed. The region is growing in feminist governance and in SDGs localization.
Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the UN SecretaryGeneral for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the UN Office of Disaster Risk Reduction, stressed the importance of showing solidarity in crisis situations. She further noted that this solidarity often comes from local and regional support more than from the national government. She called for local governments to strengthen their local resilience and hoped that local and regional governments will play a bigger role in global multilateralism.
Richard Shakespeare, Assistant Chief Executive Council for the Planning & Property Development and Culture, Recreation and Economic Services, invited the participants to attend the upcoming UCLG Culture Summit in Dublin. Last year, Dublin won the Fifth edition of the International Award UCLG – Mexico City – Culture 21 with the ‘AWE’ – Cultural Engagement through Accessibility, Wellbeing and Evidence project devoted to considering the cultural life of people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dublin is ready to share its experience showcasing its achievements, including the Culture Near You Project, which tracks cultural infrastructure with map use and data.
Elana Wong, the representative of the Youth Caucus, which has been part of the UCLG Town Halls, referred to the “Power of We” and the need to transform it into concrete actions. She also advocated for extending the UCLG participatory approaches at the regional level.
The Secretary-General of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, Fabrizio Rossi, expressed his support to deploy the Pact and announced the launch of a Territorial Diplomacy Hub in collaboration with UCLG and Eurocities in Brussels in June 2023.