Live Learning Experience Series by UCLG. The Past Sessions

As a response to the COVID-19 outbreak, UCLG has launched the series of live learning webinars for local and regional governments dedicated to different themes. The objective of the learning organized by UCLG, UN-Habitat and Metropolis is to harness the solidarity and the political will of local and regional governments, showcasing the value of local public servants.

The first webinar took place on March 25, 2020, and consisted of presentations of 10 cities, among which were Barcelona, Xi’an, Durban, Buenos Aires, etc. The participants of this meeting chaired by Secretary General of UCLG Emilia Saiz and UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif discussed the measures undertaken by cities to combat the COVID-19 and defined the most urgent issues for the next webinars.

The first debate was devoted to the issue of decent housing. This thematic session on housing was held on April 1, 2020. The speakers, besides representatives of local and regional governments, included the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing Leilani Farha.

The webinar on transport and urban mobility took place on April 8, 2020, and was organized jointly with the International Union of Public Transport (UITP). Participants included Governor of West Java Ridwal Kamil, Mayor of Strasbourg Roland Ries and others. The political representatives were joined by the UN-Habitat Executive Director, the Secretary General of UITP, the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

The live learning session on the role of associations of local governments during the pandemic was held on April 9, 2020. This event was co-organized by the Capacity and Institution Building Working Group of UCLG. Among the participants were Mayor of Utrecht, President of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) and Co-President of UCLG Jan van Zanen, the CEO of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Brock Carlton and others. Jan Van Zanen highlighted the importance of keeping democratic processes alive, and the role of the associations of local governments in linking the local and national level during the pandemic.

The online conference on digital technologies held on April 15, 2020, highlighted the role of new technologies during the pandemic and beyond. Mousa Hadid, Mayor of Ramallah, the Deputy Mayors of Barcelona and Milan, as well as representatives from Bogotá, New York City, Amsterdam, and Xi’an, together with partners from the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights discussed the development of information technologies, opportunities and challenges for their introducing. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, expressed her concern regarding the digital divide, and mentioned how cities and regions can contribute to ensuring that digitalization leaves no-one and no place behind.

The session on migration, which took place on April 16, 2020, addressed the relevance of inclusive responses to the pandemic. During the session, local governments from different regions of the world shared their aspirations for the future. Eric Piolle, Mayor of Grenoble, Mohamed Sadiki, Mayor of Rabat, Souad Abderrahim, Mayor of Tunis, Latif Karadag, Vice Mayor of Gaziantep and others joined the discussion. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, highlighted that “migrants need to be included in the recovery phase of the pandemic, and it is vital to include them in local planning processes”.

Upcoming sessions:

Session on Culture - Wednesday, 22 April 2020, 15:00-17:00 CEST

Session on Local Finance - Thursday, 23 April 2020, 15:00-17:00 CEST

Session on Informalities - Wednesday, 29 April 2020, 15:00-17:00 CEST

Session on Local Economic Development - Thursday, 30 April 2020, 15:00-17:00 CEST

All sessions are held via the Zoom platform. For more information on how to join the webinar, please contact the Secretariat of UCLG-Eurasia.

20.04.2020

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