The Tangier Outcome Document approved for the UCLG General Assembly sets in motion a new phase of collective action. The political commitments adopted by the UCLG membership are now linked to a series of concrete initiatives designed to help local and regional governments turn the principles of the Local Social Covenant into policies, partnerships and practical solutions.
From housing justice and innovation in local public services to decentralized cooperation, social dialogue and gender equality, these mechanisms provide the roadmap that will guide the municipal movement from Tangier towards implementation, ensuring that shared ambitions are matched by the tools, knowledge and collaboration needed to deliver change on the ground.
The Housing Justice Academy will support peer learning, knowledgesharing and direct support to local and regional governments working to place housing justice at the centre of the Local Social Covenant. Alexandre Apsan Frediani from research partner IIED said: “We need responses that are new, local, collective, and democratic to address the housing crisis. To do this, we must strengthen local governments, advocate for housing justice, for better tools, for shared knowledge, and for peer support.” By enabling peer learning, creating a fellowship programme and supporting selected local and regional governments directly, the Academy will advance this work.
The Global Facility for Innovation will help local governments tap into knowledge, data, partnerships, finance, and implementation support, including through ScaleX, in order to leap forward. Neila Akrimi, CoChair of the UCLG Capacity and Institution Building Working Group, said: “The world around us is changing faster than our institutions are designed for. We need a system that connects good projects, peer learning, and cooperation. This initiative is our collective answer to the question of how to make sure that local voices matter.”
The Board for Decentralised Cooperation will seek to make international action between territories more structured, inclusive and results-oriented. Eduardo Tadeo, Mayor of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, explained that from the perspective of local governments, this board is a strategic tool to strengthen the international action of territories and transform collaboration between cities and regions into more structured, inclusive and results-oriented policy. Its creation responds to a clear challenge: strengthening alliances between territories.
The Global Facility for Innovation in Local Public Services and the Board for Decentralised Cooperation are built to work together, Fabrizio Rossi from the Council of European Municipalities and Regions explained: “We need to be very concrete about what we are actually building: not new abstract frameworks, not organising something that is already out there, but actually trying to make sense of the reality that is already there. We are organising solutions that will travel between territories, whether we are managing water systems under climate stress, organising more circular food systems, or offering care assets. Let’s build capacity together.”
Next up, the Global Social Dialogue with Local Public Workers, developed with Public Services International, establishes a framework for dialogue on the people who deliver local public services. Daria Cibrario from Public Services International applauded this as the first framework agreement ever signed to support public workers. The agreement establishes practical mechanisms like a steering committee and annual meetings. “There cannot be quality local public services without adequate, safe, and decent working conditions for those providing the services.”
The Intergenerational Council for Future Generations will deepen youth participation. Issa Kassis, the former Mayor of Ramallah, emphasised the need to listen to young people and think thoroughly about what is being built. He shared examples from Palestine, where youth are choosing life and hope through initiatives like a Youth Forum, innovation hubs, music, and sports projects. “We are not defeated. Eventually, our youth will lead us to freedom,” he concluded, to rousing applause.
Lastly, the International Public-Community Council on Everyday Essentials will focus on the public services that sustain daily life. Emilio Jatón from Santa Fe underlined the importance of delivering public services in a timely and reliable manner, based on evidence. The project “Santa Fe Cares” shows how this can work by standardising practices and putting proximity at the heart of democracy. “We live in a liquid society, but we are building something solid, an anchor, with this.”
Fatimetou Abdel Malick concluded that the Tangier Outcome Document is a roadmap. “Together, these initiatives strengthen the contributions of our movement for today and tomorrow.” Delegates also discussed and applauded the suggestion to create a new UCLG Women’s Council for Equality. “When we uplift women, we uplift communities. When we create equality, we create peace and prosperity for all.” May this sentiment guide the next years of UCLG.
