City Officials Gear Up for Local and Regional Leaders World Summit in Mexico City

 

[9 November 2010] – All is set for the third Congress of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and the first Local and Regional Leaders World Summit in Mexico City 16-21 November 2010.

Some 3,000 mayors as well as local and regional authorities from around the world are expected to attend the event, which is being organised on conjunction with the municipality of Mexico City. 

The UCLG Summit will feature plenary and parallel sessions focusing on various challenges facing cities, including the local impact of global crises, how to shape efficient governance and strategic long-term planning. The programme also includes technical site visits related to urban infrastructure and public services of Mexico City. 

The Cities Alliance will host a parallel session titled “Building Cities and Citizenship” on Thursday, 18 November 2010 as part of the Summit. This session will focus on the Latin American experience of enabling the rights of all citizens to the city, the political will and the participatory urban reform processes. Particular emphasis will be placed on the City Statute of Brazil, one of the most far reaching urban policy reform measures introduced in recent years. (See attached Media Advisory) 

Cities Alliance Programme Manager William Cobbett will make opening remarks at the session, which will be moderated by Jean-Pierre Elong-Mbassi, Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa. Three additional speakers will present lessons learned and recommendations from their own local experience: Luis Nhaca, Councillor for Urban Planning and Environment for the Maputo Municipal Council, Mozambique; Inês Magalhães, National Secretary of Housing for the Brazilian Ministry of Cities; and Mário Reali, Mayor of Diadema, Brazil. 

UCLG is also co-hosting the Cities Alliance Annual Meetings, which are taking place in Mexico City 15-18 November 2010. 

The Local and Regional Leaders World Summit is linked to the World Mayors Climate Summit, which is being held on 21 November 2010. The World Mayors Summit is organised by Mexico City in partnership with UCLG, the C40, ICLEI and the World Mayors Council on Climate Change, an alliance of committed local government leaders advocating an enhanced recognition and involvement of mayors in multilateral efforts addressing climate change and global sustainability. Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon currently serves as President of the World Mayors Council. 

The highlight of the one-day World Mayors Summit will be the signing of the Mexico City Pact. The objective of the Pact is to send a clear message to the international community on the strategic importance of cities in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the effects of climate change in advance of the COP16 conference in Cancun. 

 

About UCLG 

United Cities and Local Governments represents and defends the interests of local governments on the world stage, regardless of the size of the communities they serve. UCLG’s members include individual cities and national associations of local governments, which represent all the cities and local governments in a single country. Its membership includes over 1,000 cities across 95 countries and 112 Local Government Associations (LGAs). UCLG joined the Cities Alliance in 2000. 

 

For More Information 

Cities Alliance Media Advisory

The UCLG Third Congress website at www.uclgmexicocity2010.org

The UCLG website at www.cities-localgovernments.org