Local and regional governments gathered in Istanbul on the occasion of World Council Meetings.

Local and regional governments gathered in Istanbul from 27 to 30 November, at the invitation of Kadir Topbas, Mayor of Istanbul and Co-President of United Cities and Local Governments, in the presence of Bertrand Delanoë, Mayor of Paris and President of UCLG, Zhang Guangning, Mayor of Guangzhou and Co-President of UCLG.

Hundreds of participants, from 50 countries, including mayors, local and regional authorities and experts, came to Istanbul on the occasion of the meetings of the UCLG Executive Bureau and the World Council. The event saw 33 meetings taking place, allowing the different Commissions of the World Organization and their partners to take stock of their progress so far and to decide on future courses of action.

Over these four days, discussions took place on three subjects which are key for local governments and their citizens: the financial crisis and its consequences; policies of social inclusion; prevention of disaster risks.

Through their exchanges on these urgent current issues, local and regional decision-makers hoped to be able to contribute to improved decisions as much at local and regional level as at national and international levels.

?The world we are living in is undergoing some unprecedented drastic changes. Processes like technological development, urbanization, globalization and democratization, as well as all natural, political, economic and social crises are changing the fundamental structures of the countries and the functioning of the established world order. Local government, including all its components- cities, metropolises and regions, is at the forefront of these changes. Within the past few years, local government and local governance have become the reference point and the major factor of the global and economic social structure?, stated Kadir Topbas, Mayor of Istanbul.

These UCLG statutory meetings was aimed to help the World Organization to advance in taking on the great challenges which it has set out to face, in particular the promotion of peace and the battle against climate change.

30.11.2009

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