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On the 5th of May 2004, leaders and representatives of cities and regions from across the world came together in Paris to create a united world organization of local authorities. The result of the unification of IULA, UTO and Metropolis, this gave local and regional authorities from all corners of the globe a shared voice for the first time. UCLG was born and its headquarters were set up in Barcelona.
Inheritor of the international municipal movement that celebrated its centenary in 2013, UCLG represents over 500,000 local and regional governments in 140 countries in the world. The organization’s member cities and regions represent the citizens of over 2/3 of the global population.
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To mark this important anniversary, UCLG would like to reaffirm that:
- Cities, as motors of innovation and development, must exchange experiences and knowledge to be able to face the important challenges of today that have a direct effect on the lives of citizens. In view of this, it is important for the voice of the local level to be fully articulated and heard at the global level.
- Local governments are the level closest to citizens and are responsible for ensuring essential services such as security, mobility, access to water and culture in order to improve wellbeing and make inclusive, sustainable and peaceful societies possible.
- On the eve of the celebration of the Habitat III Conference in 2016, during which the Urban Agenda will be defined within the on-going process to define the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and following the 100 year celebration of the international municipal movement in Rabat in 2013, UCLG celebrates the success of this initiative taken by local governments, for local governments. We highlight the international relevance of this date and look forward to continue working to promote the values, objectives and interests of local voices.
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Context
The international municipal movement was born in Ghent, Belgium in 1913, when a group of mayors and city managers took the pioneering decision to come together to cooperate in a structured and permanent way. This later led to the creation of IULA, UTO and METROPOLIS, the founding organizations of UCLG. The creation of a world organization of local and regional governments originated from the United Nations’ Conference on Human Settlements in Istanbul in 1996 (Habitat II). At this key moment, local authorities achieved international recognition as major actors in global governance and acknowledgement of the need to involve them in the definition of the international agenda.
From this moment, IULA, UTO and METROPOLIS began to work together to create United Cities and Local Governments. In May 2004, mayors and political leaders from all over the globe came together to participate in the Founding Congress of UCLG in Paris, which saw the creation of the organization that would unite the main associations of local and regional governments of the world.
A shared commitment on all continents
They are grouped in regional sections: UCLG-Africa, CGLU-Asia-Pacific, CGLU-Eurasia, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), the Federation of Cities, Municipalities and Associations of Latin America (FLACMA), UCLG-North America, Metropolis, and Regions United (FOGAR).
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