[submitted by UCLG-ASPAC]

APLG played an important role at the 6th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) held last 27-29 March 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. The body coordinated the representation of the local authorities major group at the People’s Forum, facilitated the participation of a Champion Mayor for SDGs, and prepared and delivered the local authorities statement at the APFSD.  The statement called on central governments and international community to provide an enabling environment for local governments and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and for greater dialogues across the different levels of government on the VNR and the global agenda.

APLG also mobilised for the 7th Asia-Pacific Urban Forum (APUF7) in Penang, Malaysia last 15-17 October 2019 by organising the Local Government Assembly as pre-event of the Forum. The Assembly enabled local government leaders to consolidate their perspectives on the future of Asia-Pacific cities and express their commitment to the 2030 Agenda. Outcomes of the discussion were reflected in the Local Government Statement delivered by Penang Mayor Dato’ Ar. Yew Tung Seang.

Members of the APLG are also members of the GTF who work at the regional level, including C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Commonwealth Local Government Forum, ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, UCLG ASPAC, UCLG MEWA, UCLG Eurasia, Metropolis, and CityNet. Partners of APLG, whose composition is mirrored from the GTF, includes the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), UNESCAP, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and United Nations University – Institute for Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS).

Regional advocacy is crucial as issues addressed in the region may not be the same at the global level. Equally important is that global advocacy also trickles down to regional level. Synergies between global and regional advocacies will allow synchronisation of actions and intensify the impact of our initiatives.