The Executive Bureau meeting of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) in April 2010 helped revise the organisation’s future strategy for local and regional authorities. The proposed new strategy calls for increased attention to the needs of cities when the U.N. General assembly meets in September 2010.
The Executive Bureau meeting of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) in April 2010 helped revise the organisation’s future strategy for local and regional authorities.
The proposed new strategy calls for increased attention to the needs of cities when the U.N. General assembly meets in September 2010 to revise the Millennium Development Goals. The Bureau also calls for members to focus more on cities during the Climate Change Summit in Cancun, Mexico which will take place 29 November ̶ 10 December 2010.
During the meetings which were held in Chicago 26-27 April during the Richard J. Daley Global Cities Forum, a taskforce was also formed by the Executive Bureau to help coordinate aid for establishing local governments in Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake.
In addition, the Executive Bureau of UCLG formally endorsed the election of the new Executive Committee of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA), and recognized the appointment of Tarayia Ole Kores, Mayor of Olketuado (Kenya) as the new President of UCLGA.
Those present included UCLG President and Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development Network Katherine Sierra, and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel.
Addressing the forum, Mayor Delanoë declared that “in a world where half the population lives and works in cities, most global challenges will need local solutions”.
At a panel discussion titled “Generating New Value from Local Assets”, Sierra said cities need help to ensure that their growth was sustainable. She also highlighted the important role played by Cities Alliance in World Bank operations and said that knowledge sharing between cities is the key to achieving sustainability.
Emmanuel emphasised the need to strengthen collaboration between federal and local governments. With the introduction of the Sustainable Urban Development Act 2010 in the U.S. Senate, Emmanuel’s presence at the meeting was a sign that the Obama administration is serious in its efforts to find solutions to urban issues.
