WHEN DEMOCRACY HITS THE FEED
The third day of the @uclg_org 2026 Retreat has wrapped up, but the posts on social media are still there, capturing what was a day focused on democracy and multilateralism. Local and regional governments are addressing trust and leadership, as well as the collaborative delivery of the Local Social Covenant, with the aim of turning rights and care into real impact.
Although it often feels increasingly difficult, networks can still be used to connect people. Over these days, the Retreat has shown its potential to transform traditional multilateralism into networked governance that connects diverse actors without losing the internal cohesion of the movement. As @UCLG_Saiz points out: “From health to water, equality, care, housing or public services, building a shared vision based on trust and collective goals is key. Multilateralism must refocus on the agenda to overcome fragmentation. This is the way of our Local Social Covenant.”
The conversation online continues with @berryonline, Mayor of @CityKitchener, highlighting how trust is built through quality universal public services, transparency and accountability. However, the path is not without obstacles. @PaolaPabonC warns: “Pressure and judicialisation against subnational governments weaken decentralisation, local investment and democracy. Defending local autonomy is key to multilateralism.”
For her part, @Lorena_Zarate_ reminds us that, in an era of attacks on the public sphere, our agenda must be to resist and defend democracy from the territories. As @jan_vanzanen points out, the greatest risk to trust is disengagement, and the crucial role of local leadership is to model co-creation by bringing different voices together around the same table.
Everything being built these days — the debates, political dialogues and workshops — serves as a foundation on the road to our next big milestones. The political roadmap for the 2026 multilateral cycle is already underway, steering the movement towards the World Congress and the Summit of Local and Regional Leaders in #Tangier2026. As Mayor @u_ibrahim_altay notes, the movement is moving towards a renewed multilateralism based on trust and local leadership.
Since we are all part of this process, we invite you to join the conversation. And because social media speaks through images as much as words, here is a link to photos from the Retreat so you can illustrate your posts and add them to the discussion: flickr.com/photos/uclg/albums
We look forward to reading your thoughts!
#UCLGMeets