Uğur İbrahim Altay, Mayor of Konya and President of UCLG for the 2026–2029 mandate
Being entrusted as the President of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) is, for me, both a profound honour and a historic responsibility. This expression of confidence reflects the trust that local and regional leaders around the world have placed in our shared vision for the future.
Our cities are far more than places where global crises unfold; they are the primary spaces where solutions are conceived, tested, and transformed into lasting public policies. In the face of increasingly complex challenges—from the climate crisis and geopolitical instability to socio-economic inequalities and rapid technological change—no global agenda can succeed without placing local leadership at its core.
My engagements across different regions of the world have also demonstrated that local and regional leaders are responding to remarkably similar societal expectations. Across borders and cultures, people share a universal aspiration for justice, security, prosperity, sustainability, and the ability to shape their own future.
This is precisely where the strategic value of local and regional governments becomes evident. As the level of government closest to citizens, they are best positioned to understand people’s needs and respond with speed and effectiveness. By delivering tangible outcomes through public policies, local governments provide the strongest response to these global expectations.
International agendas are often developed through a top-down approach. Yet meaningful and lasting change follows a different path. It begins in our neighbourhoods, municipalities, and regions. This is where leaders are closest to people’s daily lives @UCLG and where public policies are translated into tangible outcomes. For this reason, local governments can no longer be seen merely as implementing institutions. They are policy innovators, drivers of innovation, catalysts for international cooperation, and leading actors that inspire change on a global scale.
As UCLG, our greatest strength lies in our ability to bring this extraordinary diversity together through an inclusive vision. Our greatest advantage is our capacity to unite thousands of cities and regions—with different histories, priorities, and experiences—around a shared purpose. Within this network, cooperation is more than a strategic choice; it is an essential condition for addressing today’s global challenges and shaping our common future.
Being entrusted as the President has further strengthened my commitment to advancing this shared journey. At the same time, it carries with it the responsibility to ensure that the voices of local and regional governments are more visible, more influential, and more impactful in global decision-making processes.
The priorities for the years ahead are clear. We must deepen cooperation among our members, strengthen solidarity across regions, and enhance the role of cities in shaping international policymaking. From climate action and sustainable development to digital transformation, social inclusion, and peacebuilding, the knowledge, experience, and innovative capacity of local governments must be more effectively reflected in global action.
The future of the multilateral system will depend on the extent to which this vision is embraced. Cities and regions can no longer be regarded as mere implementers operating on the margins of international processes. On the contrary, they are essential partners in designing, delivering, and continuously improving shared solutions. Multilateral governance will be stronger through the meaningful participation of local and regional governments, enabling it to respond more effectively to the needs and aspirations of our communities.
To me, leadership means listening with openness, uniting diverse perspectives around a common purpose, and transforming diversity into our greatest strength. This is the guiding principle that will shape all my work throughout my Presidency of UCLG.
While the challenges before us are significant, the culture of solidarity, spirit of innovation, and problem-solving capacity demonstrated by local governments give us every reason to look to the future with confidence. Every city that embraces inclusive policies, every municipality that strengthens climate resilience, and every region that advances democratic participation contributes not only to the well-being of its own community but also to shaping our shared future. For the path to a stronger, more just, and more sustainable world undoubtedly begins with strong local and regional governments.
The determination that will shape our shared future is embodied in the dynamism of our cities, the experience of our local governments, and our collective commitment to working together. As UCLG, we will continue to strengthen this shared resolve, reinforce the rightful place of local and regional governments in global governance, and work tirelessly to deliver solutions that serve the common good of humanity.