As the World Urban Forum met for the twelfth time, going back to its roots in Cairo, the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments sessioned as one of the official assemblies of the Forum. The format and the three sessions of the Assembly, which took place on November 4th, spoke to the six official dialogues of the World Urban Forum, placing the focus on delivering a local SDG Rescue plan; reshaping the current multilateral system with a multistakeholder focus; and transforming the international financing structure to deliver basic services.
The World Assembly featured over 30 speakers from all over the world. The majority of speakers were local and regional leaders, but the World Assembly was no stranger national government representatives and partners from the United Nations. The opening remarks by Mayor of The Hague and UCLG President Jan Van Zanen emphasized building a “global social agenda rooted in equity and care”, an effort that can only be achieved through “a global financial structure that prioritizes local public investments”.
Executive Director of UN-Habitat Anacláudia Rossbach shared a common commitment to building a “new multilateral systems where the voices of local and regional governments are heard”, and calle don the international community to continue building coalitions and elevate the voices of communities. Dr. Hesham Elhelbawy, Assistant Minister of Local Development. Egypt, commended the World Assembly as the mechanism need to push forward decentralization, empowering cities and translating the SDGs in local contexts.
The panels of the day were chaired by representatives of ICLEI and UCLG-ASPAC, as well as by Mayor of Soria and UCLG Special Envoy on the New Urban Agenda Carlos Martínez, and addressed the importance of basic services; the need for a networked multilateral system; and transforming the global financial structure to place basic services, and thus people and the planet, first.
A local SDG Rescue Plan, a renewed multilateralism, and financing public caring services at the heart of the discussions
The first panel, introduced by Bernadia Irawati, Secretary General of UCLG-ASPAC, brought together Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu, Governor of Nouakchott Fatimetou Abdel Malick, Mayor of Nabón Patricio Maldonado, and Vice President of the Barcelona Provincial Council Maria Eugènia Gay, who emphasised the importance of collaboration to creating sustainable futures; the need to involve local and regional governments in global decisions; and bringing together the youth to renew public service provision. Deputy Minister of Norway for Local Governments Sigrun Wiggen called local and regional governments the basis of democracies, and key local economic development.
The second panel, opened by Mayor of Soria Carlos Martínez, bridged the outcomes of the Summit of the Future and the upcoming World Social Summit, understanding the World Urban Forum as the space to build coalitions and align with partners to achieve joint positions towards the Summit. Sharon Dijksma, Mayor of Utrecht, emphasized the necessity of optimism and collaboration, urging NGOs and young people to press forward with concrete commitments toward a shared, sustainable future. Mahamadou Ceesay, Chairman of Basse Area Council, highlighted the need for cross-sector partnerships and genuine cooperation, aiming to amplify local and regional governments within global decision-making processes
Greg Munro, Director of CitiesAlliance, who emphasized the weight of responsibility leaders bear. “We must take responsibility for the world we are leaving behind,” he declared, reflecting on the concerns of youth who increasingly express hesitancy toward bringing future generations into an uncertain world.
Maimunah Mohd. Sharif, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, and former Executive Director of UN-Habitat, underscored the symbiotic relationship between the local and global sphere. In her experience in the international sphere, she argued, she became even more convinced of the transformative role of cities as epicenters of investment and urban solutions. Her sentiment was reinforced by Ana Lucía Reis, Mayor of Cobija, who addressed the challenges and the work made by local and regional governments in addressing poverty and quality of life. Reis emphasized the need to shift societal mindsets as a precursor to true progress, a theme that resonated throughout the event. Thiso call for social change was championed by the UN Resident Coordinator for Nepal, Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, who highlighted the importance of integrating youth visions into global governance structures to shape a sustainable future.
Samuel Seth Passah, Director of Local Governance in Ghana, reiterated the necessity of pursuing the New Urban Agenda with multilateralism at its core. This, he argued, would drive impactful, resilient action for years to come.
The last panel, introduced by Paul Currie, Director of Urban Systems of ICLEI Africa, placed the focus on how we finance transformation. Mohamed Sefiani, Mayor of Chefchaouen, and UCLG Special Envoy on Food Systems, advocated for a collective climate strategy aimed at 2030, calling for strengthened local support and implementation mechanisms to realize these ambitions. Alejandro Eder, Mayor of Cali, linked the climate and biodiversity agenda bringing the COP biodiversity forum, reminding attendees that biodiversity preservation is essential, especially in tropical regions. Eder highlighted the importance of leveraging local resources, beyond financial means, to meet these environmental challenges.
The need for robust partnerships was a recurring theme. María del Mar Vázquez, Mayor of Almería, , shared insights from her city’s strategic plan, which had engaged over 400 representatives from various sectors.
Evgeniya Lodvigova, Deputy Mayor of Kazan, noted that the unilateral world is over, advocating for permanent collaboration mechanisms between cities, regions, and the United Nations. Rafael Castillo, Mayor of Vicuña, also issued called for stronger community engagement and an inclusive approach to local governance, ensuring that all voices, especially marginalized groups, are heard.
Issa Kassis, Mayor of Ramallah, shared the perspective from a very complex scenario, noting that Palestine’s resource limitations have fostered resilience. His statement reinforced the importance of guaranteeing space for young people and entrepreneurs to devise innovative solutions under constrained conditions.
Shipra Narang Suri, Chief of Urban Practices Branch of UN-Habitat then turned attention to financing as a key enabler of local transformations, anticipating the upcoming Financing for Development Summit as a platform to advocate for urban infrastructure and housing investments.
The event drew to a close with final remarks from Victor Puga, Secretary of Territory, Urbanism, and Urban Agenda of Catalonia and Councillor HY William Chan of Sydney, who emphasized the expansive potential of urban agendas and called for intergenerational dialogue, noting that “youth talking to youth” alone is insufficient.
The World Assembly concluded with a powerful call to action, issued by our constituency to the World Urban Forum through the Joint Statement of the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional governments. Emilia Saiz, UCLG Secretary General, who shared the calls of the Statement of the Global Taskforce, emphasizing the strength of the self-organised constituency and their willingness to act as partners of transformation, by being acknowledged as the voice, and as key actors to transform.
President of UCLG Jan Van Zanen opens the World Urban Forum
The Opening of the World Urban Forum brought together national government leaders, together with Executive Director of UN-Habitat and participation from UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Mayor of The Hague and UCLG President Jan Van Zanen issued a call to a renewed multilateralism, and highlighting that the agenda of UN-Habitat is align with the need for this to happen:
“We have high hopes in a system that considers current and future generations, and that is focused on peace, partnerships and equity; building solutions from the bottom-up. Our constituency is firmly convinced that the agenda of UN-Habitat is the proof that more involvement is needed.” Jan Van Zanen, Mayor of The Hague, President of UCLG
UCLG Copresident and Governor of Nouakchott Fatimetou Abdel Malick participated in the Joint Opening of the Assemblies, an exercise of the World Urban Forum to bring together the various constituencies that give life to the WUF. Governor of Nouakchott Fatimetou Abdel Malick took the stage to commend the interaction between the various assemblies, highlighting that this represents a look into the multilateralism that we want.
