History

Management ofUCLG was established in 2004 by merging two international organizations: the International Union of Local Authorities (UILA, formed in 1913) and the World Federation of United Cities (WFUC, formed in 1957). The date of the Founding Congress of the new World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) was set as May 2-5, 2004.

In accordance with the draft Statutes of UCLG, regional sections were recognized as full-fledged members of the Organization. In 7 regions of the world, it was necessary to hold constitutive sessions by UCLG’s regional sections. Representatives of Eurasia actively participated in the work of the Joint Committee and, at the same time, were preparing for the Founding Session of the Eurasia Regional Section as well, which later changed its name to the current one: the International Association “United Cities and Local Governments of Eurasia” (UCLG-Eurasia).

The Founding Session of the Eurasia Regional Section (at that time) was held on April 1-3, 2004, in Kazan. The Founding Session was attended by Elizabeth Gato, Secretary General of UCLG, who provided great assistance and support in the formation and development of the Eurasia Section. At the Founding Session, it was decided to locate the headquarters of the Organization in Kazan.

At the Founding Congress in Paris, the World Organization of UCLG recognized the Eurasia Section as its regional structure and determined the organization of work in 12 countries of the region: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Mongolia.

Today, we can confidently say that UCLG-Eurasia has emerged as an international organization and has become the center of activities to unite local governments at the Eurasia level.

UCLG-Eurasia has become an important UN partner in working with local governments in the Eurasia region, and the Mayor of Kazan was elected President of the United Nations Advisory Council of Local Authorities (UNACLA).

Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan (Russia), was elected President of the UCLG in 2021. This decision was made during the meetings of the UCLG World Council 2021. Thus, a representative of Eurasia became the head of UCLG for the first time. Since February 2022, Ilsur Metshin has resigned his powers.

PRESIDENTS OF UCLG

In different years, Presidents of the World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments were the following mayors:

from 2023 to date – Uğur İbrahim Altay, Mayor of Konya (Türkiye)

2022-2023 – Carolina Cosse, Mayor of Montevideo (Uruguay)

2021-2022 – Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan (Russia)

2019-2021 – Mohamed Boudra, President of the Municipality of Al Hoceima (Morocco)

2016-2019 – Mpho Parks Tau, Mayor of Johannesburg (South Africa)

2010-2016 – Kadir Topbaş, Mayor of Istanbul (Türkiye)

2004-2010 – Bertrand Delanoë, Mayor of Paris (France)