Report - UCLG Executive Bureau Meeting - Eng

UCLG Africa attended UCLG Executive Bureau meeting The secretary general of UCLG Africa participated in the UCLG executive bureau meeting on 19 April 2017 in Madrid. Focus was on the presentation of UCLG's Strategic Priorities 20162019 and joint action organized through UCLG’s ‘waves of action.’

Strategic Priorities were defined following the Bogota commitment, which members adopted during the fifth World Congress and the Program of Action tagged, "Local voices for a better world." The Bogota commitment necessitates: 1. A territorial approach to public policies in its definition and implementation; 2. A national enabling environment; 3. A seat at the global table; 4. Emphasis on the political process of localizing the global agendas through awareness raising, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation, learning and networking.

‘Waves of action’ is made up of a series of coordinated actions within a period of approximately six to eighteen months involving the different constituents of the UCLG network. Each wave of action will focus on a policy priority and involve at least three of the four strategic priorities namely, advocacy, learning, monitoring and implementation. The waves of action will include: 1. A slogan/hashtag; 2. A calendar with clear timelines connected with key international moments; 3. Mobilization of at least three UCLG sections linking with external partners (civil society, UN agencies, private sector, academia...); 4. Definition of original UCLG content (publications, events, policy recommendations, case studies).

For the period 2017-2018, UCLG proposes 3 waves of actions: Wave of action on the right to housing: a) Slogan: Housing is a right: Not a commodity b) Timeline: May 2017 - December 2018: Key international moments: High Level Political Forum on SDG1 in July 2017; Report on Housing to UN General Assembly Expert Meeting in February 2018; High Level Political Forum on SDG11 in July 2018. c) Diversity of actors: CISDP (Committee on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy, and Human Rights) of UCLG; UCLG’s regional sections of Europe, Africa and Asia; UN Special Report on Adequate Housing; Habitat for Humanity, Habitat International Coalition, UCLG Committee on strategic planning; FEANTSA (European Federation of National Associations Working with the Homeless), French Agency for Development, Research centers. d) Original content: 1) advocacy: shift the way housing is perceived (from only a commodity to a human right) and propose concrete measures to elevate housing from a local to global issue; 2) The next Gold Report to focus on the way local governments contribute to the achievements of the SDGs; 3) a training session on financing housing with cooperation between the UCLG committee on finance, the UCLG learning team, and the CSIPDHR. Wave of action on renewing the financing of local development by 2030 a) Slogan: Sharing resources/local finances for development b) Timeline: April 2017-December 2018 Key international events: Global infrastructure Forum in April 2017: ECOSOC follow-up Forum on Financing for Development in May 2017: High Level Political Forum on SDG11 in July 2018

c) Diversity of actors: UCLG committee on finance for local development; Africa, Asia and Latin America UCLG sections; OECD, UNCDF (United Nations Capital Development Fund) d) Original content: Global Observatory on Local Finance (monitoring); Learning events in September 2017 and February 2018; Meeting of Global Think Tank on Finance in September 2017 Wave of action on Migration a) Slogan: Cities4Migrations b) Timeline: May 2017-December 2018 Key international events: Global Compact on migration; Estoril conference 2017; Global migration: leaving home in a Globalized World in May 2017; UNGA High Level debate on SDG11 in June 2017; International Forum of Cities Against Racism in July 2017; International Day of Migrants Rights on 18 December; Zero Draft Global Compact on Migration in February 2018; Global Compact on Migration intergovernmental negotiations throughout 2018. c) Diversity of actors: UCLG Mediterranean committee, CEMR, MEWA, UCLG Africa, ICMPD (International Center for Migration Policy Development), OIM, Inter Cultural cities network (ICC), Cities of Migration, OECD, CPMR, CMI, JMDI d) Original content: Peer Learning on social housing and urban planning, education, interinstitutional coordination; policy recommendations on global compact of migration process, Mediterranean city-to-city migration final project conference.

As part of proceedings, the Executive Bureau debated the renewal of UCLG's partnership with the European Union during the period 2018-2020 and other key partnerships: local 2030 Hub for sustainability solutions; United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women); International Organisation for Migration (IOM); International Labour Organisation (ILO); United Nations Development Cooperation Fund (UNCDF); United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat); United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR); United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Strategic partnership with the European Commission; Cities Alliance; General Assembly of Partners (GAP). Other partnerships include: the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP); the United Nations Development Program (UNDP); the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Report on Adequate Housing.

UCLG President, Parks Tau, and Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo were suggested as special advisers to the UN Secretary General requesting that local governments be recognized as key actors in disaster prevention and management. As local governments should play a leading role in coordinating local parties involved in rescue action, including the humanitarian NGOs and the UN agencies, this will call for the development of a program on city preparedness for local action coordination for disaster prevention and management.

The committee adopted a policy statement on local governments and effective development and asked that all national associations disseminate the policy statement among their membership. It also noted the progress made with the UCLG Peace Prize and UCLG Culture Summit; as well as received the report of the financial management committee and that of the committee on statutory affairs held on April 18 at FEMP (Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces) in Madrid.

Madrid, Spain, 19 April 2017 Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi Secretary General, UCLG Africa