United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)

📢 This month in our newsletter, you'll learn about the participation of our constituency at #HLPF2024, including the meeting between our President and United Nations DSG Amina Mohamed, the UCLG - Mexico City - Culture 21 International Award ceremony in Mexico City, our online course on Decentralized Cooperation & SDG Localization with PLATFORMA, and more! 🗞 Dive into the latest updates to see how local and regional governments are taking an active participation in global discussions!

Recently, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) launched the newly updated Module 2 on "Planning for Change with the SDGs" during the Georgia National Urban Forum, organized by the SUDA • Spatial and Urban Development Agency. This workshop brought together 45 participants from various Georgian municipalities and agencies, as well as international attendees. Key highlights: 🗣 Engaging training sessions 🌍 Interactive modules focused on integrating #SDGs into local planning, with hands-on exercises and stimulating discussions 📱 Insights on the Enhanced VLR Guidance Portal, a tool for sustainable recovery and transitions 👏 This first edition was a great success, with innovative content and practical experiences. Congratulations to all participants for making this event a remarkable step forward in localizing the SDGs. 🔗 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/d2BDpBbK

🎉 Great success at the 2024 UCLG - Mexico City - Culture 21 Award Ceremony! ✨ Yesterday, Mexico City honored global champions in cultural rights and sustainable development at the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) - Mexico City - Culture 21 Award Ceremony. 🏆 This year’s awards recognized Gwanak-Gu for its 'Capital of Youth Culture' program and La Paz for its 'Qullañ Uta' traditional medicine initiative, along with individual accolades for Alfons Martinell Sempere and Milena Dragicevic Sesic. The ceremony highlighted the efforts of these laureates to improve local cultural governance and promote the cultural dimension of development. The day also featured the International Seminar on Cultural Innovation, highlighting key issues like the need for rights-based cultural policies and stronger cultural systems. 🌍✨ 🔗 Explore more about the award and its impact on cultural rights and sustainable cities here: https://lnkd.in/dKnVajgz #CulturalRights #SustainableCities

📢Public service provision can only be guaranteed by including the voices of the youngest generations! The International Observatory on Participatory Democracy compiles the experiences of the #localgovs committed to public #participation from early ages!👦🏾 📒Take a look at this new Peer Learning Note👇🏾 #Listen2Cities

🌍 Key outcomes from #HLPF2024 The Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments (GTF) brought over 50 elected officials from various regions & networks to the 2024 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). Our local track of activities kept localization at the forefront, aligning with the United Nations Secretary-General’s agenda for rescuing the SDGs. Some of the main events in which our constituency participated: 1️⃣ The 7th Local and Regional Governments Forum: The political space of our self-organized constituency at the HLPF. Co-organized with United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme), UNDP & Local2030 Coalition, the LRGF serves as a living proof of the unwavering commitment of local and regional governments with the 2030 Agenda. This year, a special focus was given to the five SDGs under review in the 2024 HLPF, delving into their effective implementation through multilevel cooperation. 2️⃣ Local2030 Special Event: The constituency had a significant role at the Special Event “Unlocking transformative change through the localization of the six SDG transitions”, organized by the Local2030 Coalition. The session built on the last SDG Summit, when Local2030 was identified as a High-Impact Initiative for Localization. 3️⃣ Transformation from the Ground Up: Organized by UNDESA, this session focused on the critical role of #LRGs in driving bottom-up transformation to fully localize the SDGs. 4️⃣ Localizing the ICPD: United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and UNFPA reviewed and supported the role of #localgov in localizing the International Conference on Population and Development agenda, promoting gender equality, urbanization, and demographic diversity. 5️⃣ The 3rd edition of the VSR-VLR Days: Co-organised with UN-Habitat & UNDESA, these 2 days showcased the commitment of #LRGs to localize the SDGs. With 235 LRGs having presented 295 VLRs & 44 VSRs from 38 countries since 2018, covering more than 1.7 billion people, this effort highlighted the importance of localized data & information in the global SDG framework. As we approach the Summit of the Future, the HLPF presented progress from the UN Secretary-General Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments. This group, comprising 15 local governments and five representatives from Member States, provides recommendations to ensure local perspectives are included in global decision-making. The upcoming Summit of the Future will be a crucial moment for presenting final recommendations and multilateral strategies for the #2030Agenda. Beyond the Summit, we'll continue to focus on mobilizing a multi-stakeholder, multi-level coalition to develop a global social agenda that reduces inequalities and addresses the needs of current & future generations. Read more about the event here: https://lnkd.in/dtkaTWgh 

🌍The 8th edition of the Global Taskforce’s report to the #HLPF2024, “Towards the Localization of the #SDGs”, has been released! ➡️https://lnkd.in/dh9fHEZR Local and regional governments driving equality, climate action and a new agenda for peace United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), on behalf of the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, produces the annual Towards the Localization of the SDGs report. This publication, which aims to report yearly on the state of SDG implementation at the local level around the world, analyzes the initiatives undertaken by #LRGs to localize the SDGs. The report has been produced and presented to the HLPF every year since 2017, and is increasingly acknowledged by the UN and partners as a critical tool to advance SDG localization. 🌐 Learn how the 37 national governments that have presented VNRs at the 2024 HLPF are involving their local counterparts in SDG strategies, coordination mechanisms & VNR processes We need to grow from <50% to full inclusion to achieve the goals! 📘 Read how local governments’ commitment & initiatives are helping end poverty & hunger (SDGs 1-2), fight climate change (SDG 13) & achieve cities & territories of peace to rebuild trust (SDG 16) through human rights-based and caring approaches With dedicated papers and 750 locally-led inspiring practices! 🙋♀️ Paper 1: The role of local and regional governments regarding poverty and prosperity: A people approach (SDGs 1-2) ➡️ https://lnkd.in/de8mudYK 🌎 Paper 2: Localizing climate action and SDG 13 through bold initiatives and advocacy: A planet perspective (SDG 13) ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dHBmcpfF 🕊 Paper 3: Advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies (SDG 16) at local and regional levels: A government perspective ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dX8xny9a 🙌 Discover the catalytic role of VSRs and VLRs and be part of this ever-growing movement! 🏛 Join our advocacy for stronger involvement of local governments in the global table to transform & revitalize the multilateral system We warmly invite you to dive into the 8th GTF Towards the Localization of the SDGs report, explore its insightful findings, spread the word and keep advancing the SDGs with us! 💬Join us for the 3rd edition of the VLR-VSR Days! Four online, thematic sessions co-organized by UCLG, UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs will take place on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 July to discuss how to leverage VLRs and VSRs to accelerate local and global action towards the SDGs. Key topics: 🏛️multilevel governance 🔎 trust 📊 urban basic services 🤝 evidence-based policies ➡️https://lnkd.in/dcUnry7p 

🇺🇳 The United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) will be held from Monday, July 8 to Wednesday, July 17, 2024, under the theme "Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions." 📍 2024 is a critical year for localization. With only 6 years to achieve the goals, and with the UN Summit of the Future and the World Social Summit in the horizon, we are ready to bring our voices to develop a global social agenda, to leave no one behind by governing in partnership in a renewed multilateral system. 🌍Ahead of the Local and Regional Governments Forum, President of UCLG Uğur İbrahim ALTAY is set to address the importance of the #HLPF and the critical role of localization in achieving the #2030Agenda 🗣 "The global goals under review this year are of particular importance for the day-to-day work of #LRGs. The goals are closely intertwined and have a very direct link with local service provision." 🌐 The constituency of local and regional governments is ready to showcase the critical importance of localization to achieve the goals under review: Goals 1, 2, 13, 16 and 17; and to accomplish the entire global agendas as one. 🗓 Below are some of the key dates and events we will be participating in: Wednesday, July 10 - Local 2030 Special Event - HLPF official localization session: "Transformation from the ground up: Acting at local level" Thursday, July 11 - Local and Regional Governments Forum - Official VNR Lab: “Advancing integrated SDG planning and implementation: the role of Voluntary National Reviews and Voluntary Local Reviews” Friday, July 12 - ICPD30 Global Consultation: Localizing the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Monday 15 July - Tuesday 16 July (online) - Voluntary Local Reviews and Voluntary Subnational Review Days 📄 During the Forum, the 8th annual report of the Global Taskforce "Towards localizing the #SDGs" will be presented. This insightful report will be supported by three thematic papers analyzing the state of localization of the SDGs that will be discussed at the Forum. ✨ We look forward to focusing on these essential discussions to advance the SDGs and build a sustainable future together. We are ready to make the international system #Listen2Cities. 🔗 Click here for our full calendar: https://lnkd.in/d2XNvNvN ⬇ And here learn more about our participation at the HLPF: https://lnkd.in/dMn8fdCB

🟠The #OIDPValongo2024 Conference “Populist threats: building democratic resilience with participatory communities” is one of our🔑milestones to achieve #SDG16 through local democracy as a pillar to safeguard peace🕊️ Don't miss it!👉🏾https://lnkd.in/djURYXsy

🎉 We are happy to announce that, following interactions held with UCLG, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Olivier De Schutter, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, have included “Enhancing the role of regional and local governments” as one of the “Alternatives to criminalization: an agenda for change” in their last joint report Breaking the cycle: ending the criminalization of homelessness and poverty. 🏘 The study is aimed at assisting National Governments to implement the guiding principles on extreme poverty and human rights to decriminalize homelessness and life-sustaining activities of people in poverty. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/dWpRwCJy 🌟 This important recognition comes as a result of the formal contribution to this report submitted by United Cities and Local Governments, through its UCLG Committee on Social Inclusion,Participatory Democracy and Human Rights in late 2023, under the title “The Role of Local and Regional Governments in relation to the decriminalization of homelessness and poverty.”🌟 📃 Read the contribution here: https://lnkd.in/dMwUnfGT 🌍 The contribution gathers the practical experiences, good practices, and key messages for advocacy of around 50 local and regional government (LRG) representatives from 11 countries from three continents: Americas, Europe and Africa. It also builds on the outcomes of several milestones organized in 2023, such as the 1st Cities Summit of the Americas (Cumbre de las Américas), held in Denver, and the virtual meeting of our Community of Practice on Housing, realized in September 2023. 🎯Ahead of the review of #SDG1 in the framework of the #HLPF, this acknowledgment is a critical step forward to ensure #LRGs full involvement in housing policy, and in reducing inequalities as a means to ensure the goal of zero poverty. 👨👩👧👦Towards the United Nations #SummitOfTheFuture and the upcoming #WorldSocialSummit, we aim to ensure that this contribution is a critical element of our advocacy to ensure a global social agenda that protects the rights of our communities.

CIB Annual Meeting 2024 in Barcelona 👏 We’re delighted to share some highlights from the CIB Annual Meeting in Barcelona, held from May 27-29. Over 50 representatives from local governments and their associations discussed key local governance issues. Key takeaways: 🔹 Opening & Plenary: Focus on navigating governance amid global crises and the importance of practical spaces for exchange. 🔹 Panel Discussions:    - Emilia Saiz - United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG): Updates on UCLG initiatives and the United Nations Summit of the Future.   - Global Perspectives: Insights on local governance during conflicts, with examples from Germany-Ukraine partnerships and Ethiopian local authorities. 🔹 Workshops:   - Gender Equality: Reintroduced the Toolkit to Mainstream Gender Equality in LGAs and discussed developing a Gender Advocacy Tool.   - Localization in Development Cooperation: Emphasized decentralized cooperation for local ownership of development projects and achieving the SDGs. ✨ Stay tuned for more updates as CIB members continue to promote inclusive and effective local governance worldwide. 🔗 For more information on CIB 2024, read here: https://lnkd.in/dBrn82mn