Eurasia Regional Section of the World organization "United Cities and Local Governments"
Eurasia Regional Section of the World organization "United Cities and Local Governments"
The regular meetings of the Executive Bureau were held in San José (Costa Rica), from April 17 to 20, under the main theme “Local Governments: The Power of the People”.
The Executive Bureau coincided with the celebration of the 20th anniversary of UCLG in its current form and the 120th anniversary of the local government movement as a whole. The meetings in Costa Rica provided an opportunity to take stock and define positions on key international processes and to address institutional development issues as well.
Traditionally, in addition to regional and thematic sessions, meetings on statutory affairs were held.
The meeting of the Committee on Statutory Affairs was held on April 18 in a closed format. It was devoted to institutional issues regarding updates in the governance structures of UCLG, membership issues, etc. The meeting of the Financial Management Committee also took place on April 18.
The Financial Management Committee meeting was also organized as a closed session on April 18. The agenda of the meeting focused on preparing and executing budget, as well as on closing the organization’s accounts.
The business session of the Executive Bureau took place on April 19 in a mixed format. The introductory part of the meeting was devoted to the history of the movement and reflections on the UCLG’s 20-year existence, the journey of the organization, as well as key milestones for the future and a vision for the world beyond 2030. The main part of the meeting focused on adopting the reports on the Executive Bureau, the Financial Management Committee and the Statutory Affairs Committee’s outcomes in Konya.
The next segment of the session was themed: “Towards a New Financial Architecture to Ensure Care”. This segment presented the views of local and regional leaders and partners in a high-level discussion group, the reforms needed to create an international financial architecture and governance that focuses on financing basic services and emphasizes the needs of communities and the planet over profits. Reports from the policy councils and special envoys were also heard, and the updates on strategic work were adopted as well.
A further session was devoted to safeguarding the commons. In this segment, the importance of water as a common resource was considered, based on the priorities shared by UCLG members in the run-up to the upcoming World Water Forum; the work was done to develop a joint position in relation to the Forum.
The final session of the Executive Bureau emphasized the theme of local multilateralism. In anticipation of the upcoming UN Summit on the Future, this segment provided an opportunity to assess the role and impact of local and regional governments in the broader context of the Summit’s objectives. Discussions were also held on preparations for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the development of urban diplomacy in general.
UCLG-Eurasia at the Executive Bureau was represented by Kuvanychbek Kongantiev, Chairman of Bishkek City Council, Vera Galushko, Chairperson of the City Council of Krasnodar, Rasikh Sagitov, Secretary General of UCLG-Eurasia, and a representative of the city of Rostov-on-Don and others. According to the organizers, the event was attended by more than 200 people from all over the world.
22.04.2024
