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BORDELOT Federica
In Impact community Society, Latest, Local democracy

International Metropolis Conference

Inclusive Migration - News 2023

Join CEMR at the International Metropolis Conference in Berlin

​From 4 to 9 September 2022, the 25th International Metropolis Conference 2022 is taking place in Berlin, organised by the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in close collaboration with Metropolis International.

Experts, policymakers, researchers and business leaders will bring together multiple perspectives, insights and evidence on migration, integration, inclusion, and diversity. Among the distinguished speakers will be the Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), António Vitorino.

The key themes of this edition of IMC include the impact of various crises on migration and mobility, technological developments and the future of work, climate change and the implications for migration, and the conditions for fair migration. The conference is taking place in person in Berlin and online across the world.

CEMR will participate in a panel on “Global crisis – local responsibilities” on Tuesday 6 September 11:30–13:00. Together with representatives from the cities of Berlin, Warsaw, Beirut and Gaziantep we will discuss how cities respond to multiple crises. You can learn more about the conference and sign up here.

BORDELOT Federica
In Gender equality, Impact community Society, Latest

Charter – Translation

IncluCities - News 2023

CEMR is looking for a contractor to carry out translation activities

CEMR is looking for a provider for the translations of two documents related to the update of the European Charter for Equality of Women and Men in Local Life and particularly on the theme of gender equality, diversity and intersectionality. The contractor will translate the two documents into 28 languages. The deadline for the submission of the tender is Tuesday, 13 September 2022

For more information, please refer to the terms of reference.

TARAN Stanislav
In Bridges of Trust, Latest, Projects and Programmes

Communication for Bridges of Trust

Call for Proposals - News 2023

‘Bridges of Trust’ is looking for a contractor to carry out communication activities

CEMR is looking for a provider for a short-term assignment (until 30 October 2022) for communication support and services, to prepare communication materials highlighting the Bridges of Trust project’s results. For more information, please refer to the terms of reference.

PALA Francesco
In Impact community Society, Latest, Local democracy

High-Level Political Forum (HLPF)

Promoting the Global Goals - News 2023

Hannah-Lea Braun: New generations of local and regional leaders are at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals

CEMR and PLATFORMA were present at last month’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), a key event dedicated to sustainable development held every year at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The delegation was made up of some twenty representatives of national associations of local and regional government and partners, including Hannah-Lea Braun, local councillor for Maichingen (Sindelfingen, Germany) and member of the Committee of Young European Local Authorities.

Together, delegate members expressed the voice of European territories to the local and regional government sessions. These focused on the issues posed by the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the wake of the global pandemic, including those related to access to quality education (SDG4), gender equality (SDG5) and partnerships for the global goals (SDG17).

On the occasion of the Local and Regional Government Day and Forum (11-12 July), Hannah-Lea Braun highlighted the crucial role of local and regional governments in building a more sustainable, inclusive and egalitarian society, starting with gender equality, a topic at the heart of CEMR’s work.

The spotlight was also put on youth during a meeting with Olof Skoog, the European Union’s Ambassador to the United Nations in New York. This year 2022 having been declared “European Year of Youth” by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Hannah-Lea Braun reminded the audience of the crucial importance of taking into consideration the expectations of European youth. This entails giving the means necessary for the new generations of citizens and local elected representatives to take part in the decision-making process and in the deployment of public policies implementing the SDGs.

The presence of PLATFORMA and CEMR’s members and partners was also an opportunity to highlight the work done to localise the SDGs, documented notably in their recent annual report on the topic.

TONHAUSER Boris
In Latest, PLATFORMA

Africities Summit

Calendar - Conference banner

Youngest Mayor of Portugal: “Young people should be seen as change leaders”

It is essential to better involve young people in politics and decision-making, according to João Fortes, the mayor of the Portuguese city of Mourão and the youngest mayor of Portugal, during the Africities Summit organised by UCLG Africa in Kisumu (Kenya).

The Summit, which took place from 16 to 20 May, gathered local governments and communities, civil society organisations, and development actors from across Africa, as well as many international players. The participants discussed the high stakes involved in the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda. A day dedicated to youth issues highlighted the crucial role that the next generations play in the development of their territories.

Speaking on behalf of PLATFORMA and CEMR’s Committee of Young European Elected Representatives, João Fortes took part in different sessions dealing with sustainable development and challenges faced by young people.

The young elected mayor presented some of the policies being implemented at the European and local levels to move towards a more inclusive and sustainable social model. According to him, young people must be considered “change leaders” in this process.

João Fortes participated in three Africities sessions:

  • A meeting of the partners of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) on the issues related to sustainable development and climate change
  • The General Assembly of the Network of Young Elected Local Officials of Africa (YELO)
  • A “youth day”, notably dealing with urban policies aiming to better integrate young people

What role for young people in Africa and Europe’s mid-sized cities?

Whereas 2022 is the European Year of Youth, a Eurobarometer survey has found that a large segment of young Europeans consider that they are not sufficiently listened to by public authorities.

Young people face an increased risk of poverty, notably in the post-pandemic context, and there are reasons to fear the disengagement of young citizens from political life. To answer this, João Fortes stressed the need “to provide the conditions for young people to be genuinely involved in decision-making.”

The mayor of Mourão also highlighted several projects being undertaken in his municipality and in Portugal. Indeed, Portuguese youth are also being affected by the consequences of the health crisis and a difficult economic situation.

Mourão is taking numerous initiatives in these areas with the creation of a Local Assembly of Young People, a participatory budget, technical support for youth organisations, strengthened children’s access to medical and dental care, and the development of youth exchanges and volunteering opportunities.

The Summit was also an opportunity to bring together PLATFORMA and CEMR’s Committee of Young European Elected Representatives and YELO members. These two networks of African and European local leaders could soon undertake actions in cooperation to put into perspective the issues encountered in the development of their territories.

Check on Twitter with #Africities9

REVAULT Martin
In Latest, United Cities and Local Governments

UCLG World Congress 

South Korea - News Section

Come to Daejeon and take part in the largest gathering of local leaders!

Take part in the largest gathering of mayors, presidents of associations, local elected officers, and practitioners from around the world, from 10 to 14 October 2022 in Daejeon (South Korea).

Convened by United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and for the first time hybrid, the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders and World Congress will be the heart of the municipal movement with thousands of elected officials, members of the civil society, partners and other stakeholders.  

In 2022, the Congress’ programme will be based around different tracks, namely the “Local Action” track, the “Town Hall” track, the “Statutory” track, the “Assembly” track and the “Daejeon” track. Those will echo the components of the “Power of We”, the power of the municipal movement to break through as one.

Daejeon will also allow you to experience the culture, community, and public service associated with digital technology.

For more information on the Congress and how to register, click here. Please note that early bird registration ends on 31 August. Also make sure to sign up here for the latest news leading up to Daejeon 2022.

TARAN Stanislav
In Bridges of Trust, Impact community Society, Latest, Projects and Programmes, Twinning, Ukraine reconstruction

​Support for Ukraine

Ukraine flag - News section

The Luxembourg association SYVICOL launches a platform to shed light on local initiatives

What actions are Luxembourg municipalities taking to support Ukraine and its population? How can they gear up their efforts and operate within their means? The association of Luxembourg cities and municipalities, SYVICOL, provides a first set of answers to these questions, while also casting light on initiatives developed locally and on the global stage. 

Entitled “Support for Ukraine“, SYVICOL’s new platform reveals, for example, why elected officials from the city of Esch-sur-Alzette agreed to set up a twinning partnership with Stryi, a Ukrainian city located near the Polish and Slovak borders. Scrolling through the website, you will come across Ukrainescht Haus Stroossen, an initiative led by the municipality of Strassen to give Ukrainians who fled their country, a place to exchange, to spend some time and, if they want, to participate in activities.

The platform also provides municipalities with information it has access to through its relations with various international players and networks, including the CEMR. SYVICOL also collaborates with the Association of Ukrainian Cities and can establish contact between the latter and the Luxembourg municipalities that wish to do so.

Finally, the platform relays official information released by the national government and brings together in one place the contact details of several supporting NGOs.

Available in English and French, the new platform will be regularly updated.

Did you know?

Many of CEMR’s member associations have set up sections of their websites dedicated to Ukraine where you can follow their latest activities. You will find a non-comprehensive list of these sections at the bottom of this page.

REVAULT Martin
In Latest, United Cities and Local Governments

8th UCLG World Congress 

UCLG - News section

Call for the 8th UCLG World Congress in 2025

The triennial UCLG World Congress is a critical moment for the international movement of local and regional governments, gathering local elected representatives and their partners at an event so powerful it demands the spotlight on the global stage. What once began as a meeting point, the Congress has evolved into a complete experience that now encompasses various themes, and formats and encapsulates the diversity of our century-old movement. This Congress should count on more innovation, interaction, inclusion and input than ever before, culminating not only in our renewed vision, but also in policy documents to guide a unified and collaborative approach to implementing local solutions.

The 2025 Congress should remain a place for mayors, councillors and presidents of regional authorities and their associations to come together, while providing space for the full constituency, and an increasing number of partners, such as the Global Taskforce and other stakeholders.

The new reality has inevitably generated new technological needs. In this sense, the 2025 Congress will need to include a strong hybrid component to allow both in-person and online participation, which will make the Congress more accessible for all of our constituency.

The UCLG Presidency and members of the UCLG World Council are looking for innovative proposals that will be able to accommodate the ideas stated above and host this world‑class event.

Please find here the call for candidatures for the 8th UCLG World Congress with the requirements for presenting a candidature.

If you think your city or local government association can meet this exciting challenge, our World Secretariat very much looks forward to receiving your proposal.

Candidatures should include the following items in one of the three working languages of UCLG (English, French or Spanish): 

  • A letter of motivation explaining why the local/regional authority would like to host the event;
  • An expression of agreement with the Terms of Reference for the 8th UCLG Congress in 2025;
  • Explicit acceptance of the minimum financial and administrative conditions, which will be further defined in cooperation with the Financial Management Committee;
  • A draft budget that will provide an idea of the dimension of the envisaged event;
  • A logistical dossier with information about the venues and facilities;
  • A brief concept note with ideas about possible themes.

For further information or to present a candidature, please write to the attention of the UCLG Secretary General at UCLGExBu@uclg.org before 5 September 2022.  

REVAULT Martin
In Latest, United Cities and Local Governments

UCLG 2023 Culture Summit

Calendar - Conference banner

Apply to become the host city of the UCLG 2023 Culture Summit!

The Culture Summit has become a major event for UCLG. After the success of the Summits previously held (Bilbao in 2015, Jeju in 2017, Buenos Aires in 2019 and Izmir in 2021), and considering the growing importance of culture in the framework of sustainable cities, UCLG has decided to convene a 5th UCLG Culture Summit in 2023. 

The UCLG Culture Summit is a unique global event. It responds to the growing importance of culture in local development, a fact that has been evidenced in all continents at least since the beginning of the 21st century, and more than ever since the recent global crisis generated by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

We invite you to check the Terms of Reference of the 5th UCLG Culture Summit. Direct or indirect members of UCLG can apply to be the host city by 2 September 2022 in writing to the UCLG World Secretariat: UCLGExBu@uclg.org, putting in copy: culture@uclg.org.

OKKALI AKTAS Ayben
In Impact community Society, Latest, Local democracy

Policy Committee Meeting

Policy committee in Turkey - News 2022

Young local leaders: time “to go beyond the simple notion of ‘youth'”

Empowerment and representation: these are the keywords defining the work of the Committee of Young European Elected Officials run by CEMR and PLATFORMA. Cemal Baş, Councillor of the Municipality of Keçiören (Turkey), spoke on behalf of this network, which is currently being rebuilt, at CEMR’s Policy Committee in Bologna (4-5 July 2022).

The network’s aspirations go “beyond the simple notion of ‘youth’, since it is above all about supporting young leaders in their becoming familiar with the major European issues and opportunities for the local and sustainable development of territories while enabling them to bring the voice of CEMR, PLATFORMA and their own local authority to international discussion forums.“

Gathered in Italy for two days, CEMR’s members were able to take stock of the association’s main orientations and thematic projects. It was an opportunity to highlight for the first time the development of the Young Elected Officials Committee. Cemal Baş stressed that this “network is growing and is today giving the possibility to strengthen the voice of European local and regional governments.“

After a break of several months, this group of young European leaders has been reviving since the spring 2022, in a context marked by the European Year of Youth. So much so that today, it brings together more than fifteen elected representatives under the age of 40, from the four corners of Europe: Austria, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania and Turkey.

Beyond their nationality, the diversity of the members of this network is embodied in their different areas of expertise. As was pointed out to the members of the CEMR Policy Committee, “each young leader has his or her own field experience and expertise in relation to the public policies implemented in his or her area.” This is a real strength for pursuing the objectives of the Committee of Young Elected Representatives and promoting the interests of Europe’s local and regional governments at the European and global levels.

In concrete terms, recent weeks have seen João Fortes, Mayor of the Portuguese municipality of Mourão, bring the voice of European local and regional governments on youth and sustainable development to the Africities Summit organised by UCLG Africa in Kenya. Hannah-Lea Braun, elected member of Maichingen Local Council in Germany, will also participate in the UN High Level Political Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals (HLPF) in New York.

All the perspectives raised during this presentation will be at the heart of the first meeting of the Committee of Young European Elected Representatives in autumn 2022, while a spokesperson will be appointed to CEMR’s Policy Committee by the end of the year. In the meantime, the next few weeks will allow us to enlarge this network of young European local leaders, as CEMR members are invited to nominate two local elected representatives.

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