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Since the adoption of the Istanbul Declaration at the HABITAT II Conference in Istanbul in June 1996, it has been widely recognized that local authorities are the closest partners of Governments in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda.
It was at this historical global conference that the international community underlined the importance of developing strategic partnerships among the key stakeholders in governance and development in orders to meet the challenges of building sustainable human settlements.
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In 1999, the Commission on Human Settlements, while in preparations for the Special Session of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, noted with satisfaction the important contributions made by local authorities around the world in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. This includes the effective partnerships being established between UN-HABITAT, Member States and local authorities in the design, adoption, and implementation of local plans of action inspired by the Habitat Agenda, and consistent with Local Agenda 21. It recognized the urgent need to accelerate international regional and national progress in the adoption of policy measures aimed at strengthening cooperation between central and local governments. The Governing Council asked the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT in its resolution 17/18 of 1999, "to establish a committee of local authorities as an advisory body that would serve the purpose of strengthening the dialogue with local authorities from all over the world involved in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda."
On 23 and 24 January 2000, the inaugural meeting of the United Nations Advisory Committee of Local Authorities (UNACLA) was convened and hosted by the City of Venice, Italy. In accordance with Resolution 17/18, invitees represented a wide spectrum of local authority leaders and global and regional associations of cities and local authorities. The meeting's agenda included the constitution of the Committee and the adoption of its Rules of Procedure. The results of the meeting are summarized in the Venice Declaration.
In 2003, UNACLA was invited to contribute to and participate in international dialogues on issues related to effective decentralization and the strengthening of local authorities, including principles and legal frameworks in support of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. The result is The International Guidelines on Decentralization and Strengthening of Local Authorities, which were approved by the Governing Council of UN-HABITAT on 20 April 2007. The set of guidelines is a key instrument to promote good governance at all levels and to strengthen local authorities. It is intended to guide policy and institutional reform at the national level to further enable and empower local authorities to improve urban governance in attaining development goals relating to human settlements, including targets within the Millennium Development Goals.
In 2004, mayors and local authority representatives from around the world embarked on a new era of international cooperation with the launching in Paris of a new body called the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). UCLG is serves a crucial role in promoting local action to achieve global goals, and for coordinating local authorities internationally to improve the lives of urban residents. As part of efforts to cement the relationship between UN-HABITAT and UCLG, the decision was made to make UCLG the primary local authority association partner in UNACLA.
In 2005, UNACLA became active in international dialogues which resulted in the formulation of The International Guidelines on Access to Basic Services for All. The guidelines were which were approved by the Governing Council of UN-HABITAT on 3 April 2009. These constitute a broad framework to guide national policy reforms in the provision of basic services which are prerequisites in achieving human dignity, quality of life and sustainable livelihoods.
During its annual meeting in April 2011 in Nairobi, Kenya, UNACLA adopted a number of reforms aimed at strengthening its relevance to the UN system, and in order to genuinely reflect the interests and priorities of local authorities in the face of fast-paced urbanization. The reforms include the expansion of the committee membership, the adoption of yearly working themes, and the decision to make the UCLG President concurrently serve as Chairman of UNACLA. | 
