The United Cities and Local Governments will next week mark 100 years of existence.
The celebrations will be launched during the second edition of the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders will take place from 1st – 4th October this year and will be hosted by the city of Rabat, Morocco.
Among those slated to address the Summit includevthe King of Morocco Mohamed VI, Dr. Joan Clos, Under Secretary of the United Nations, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, who is also the founding President of UCLG, Khalifa Sall, Mayor of Dakar, Senegal, who is also the president of UCLG Africa, Mr. Kadir Topbas, Mayor of Istanbul, who is the president of UCLG and the mayor of Rabat, Mr. Fathallah Oulalaou.
The Rabat meet comes against the milieu that whereas “Summits” bringing together Head of States or national governments are commonplace, however in the world today and in the world of tomorrow, decision making cannot exclusively be limited to a single level of government: decisions taken at local level or other sub-national levels are equally as important. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for leaders of towns, cities or local authorities to be at the forefront in taking important steps in fostering wellbeing and inciting citizens to react.
Furthermore, as the United Nations and the international community prepare to take stock of the Millennium Development Goals and to define a new development programme for the next twenty to thirty years, it is also time for local and regional authorities to come together to set forth the Cities and Regions’ Agenda for the 21st Century. The 4th Congress will be central to reflection on the theme of “Imagine Society, Build Democracy”.
On its part, UN-Habitat has lined up several activities all aimed at making the Rabat meeting a success. |
