United Cities

#Listen2Cities at #COP31 As Special Envoy of the COP31 Presidency for Local and Regional Governments and UCLG President, Uğur İbrahim Altay provides a bridge for dialogue between the Presidency and the organised constituency of cities and regions, through the Global Taskforce and LGMA. 🗣️ “Today, our ultimate goal is to move beyond words and focus on action, moving beyond short-term efforts towards lasting cooperation. I invite all my colleagues to join forces for cities that protect land and water.” As facilitator of the Global Taskforce, UCLG strongly supports the decades-long advocacy of the LGMA Constituency has done on its behalf, for a stronger role for local and regional governments in the UNFCCC process. We look to #COP31 as a moment that translates that collective advocacy into concrete commitments, stronger multilevel cooperation and lasting opportunities for local and regional governments to shape climate action.

#Listen2Cities at @UNIDO @BridgeForCities 🌱 Affordability and social inclusion are fundamental to a just transition. Leaders including @a_pekyatirmaci, Mayor of @SelcukluBel; @ABDELMALICKf, President of @NkttRegion; Predrag Puharić, Deputy Mayor of Sarajevo; @mayrasmendoza, Mayor of @QuilmesMuni, Mohd Zary Affendi bin Mohd Arif, Deputy Mayor of the Royal City of Klang; and Indiana Wong, Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Berlin shared their insights at the #MayorsDialogue on green transition and urban decarbonization.

🔄 Multilevel governance is key. During @UNIDO's @BridgeforCities, UCLG’s Head of Regional Affairs, Carlos Mascarell, highlighted how local decarbonisation targets need regulatory backing and seamless coordination between local, regional, and national governments. The chain of transmission is vital. #BridgeForCities #GreenTransition

Desde Ciudades y Gobiernos Locales Unidos lamentamos profundamente el fallecimiento del ingeniero Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas. Su compromiso con la vida pública y su contribución al fortalecimiento de la democracia son parte del movimiento municipalista, con su activo papel en CGLU y @metropolis_org . Desde la familia municipalista, expresamos nuestras más sinceras condolencias a su familia, a sus amistades y a sus seres queridos.

🌐#Listen2Cities @UCLG_Saiz moderates the @BridgeforCities Mayors Dialogue on AI, bringing local leadership to the centre of the digital transformation debate. 🎙️ “Digital transformation becomes real at the local level. It begins with the daily work of local and regional governments, turning innovation into better public services and better lives for people.” From Rabat, Karditsa, Shusha, Saida and Xi’an, mayors share how cities are putting innovation to work for urban resilience, competitiveness and quality of life. @UNIDO @uclg_org

🌐 #Listen2Cities at @UNIDO @BridgeForCities How are digital innovation and artificial intelligence transforming cities, promoting smarter governance and improving public services? Adnan Seric, Head of UNIDO’s Innovation Lab, moderates a discussion with Fatiha El Moudni, UCLG Treasurer and Mayor of Rabat; Predrac Puharic, Deputy Mayor of Sarajevo; and Abi Freeman, Founding Partner at @hellobrink to explore the challenges and opportunities presented by digital transformation.

🌐 #Listen2Cities à @UNIDO @BridgeForCities @ABDELMALICKf, Présidente de la région de @NkttRegion et Coprésidente de CGLU: «Les gouvernements locaux et régionaux doivent disposer des ressources, des financements et des capacités de décision nécessaires, non seulement pour mettre en œuvre les transitions, mais aussi pour les co-construire. Une coopération internationale renforcée, notamment à travers la coopération décentralisée, est essentielle pour soutenir les finances locales, partager les innovations et développer des solutions adaptées aux territoires.» #BridgeForCities

🌐 #Listen2Cities @ABDELMALICKf, copresident of UCLG and President of @NkttRegion, addresses the importance of regional and national integration in climate plans at the High-level plenary on the green transition and urban industrial decarbonisation at @UNIDO #BridgeForCities

🌎#Listen2Cities at @UNIDO #BridgeForCities @DGgerdmueller Director General of @UNIDO “Cities play a crucial role in shaping the future of our planet. As we enter a new decade of cooperation, we must harness AI and green innovation to build the cities of the future. 🏭Through initiatives such as ScaleX, we can connect cities, businesses, investors and universities, helping scale innovative solutions, foster cleaner industries and strengthen local economies.”

✨#Listen2Cities at @UNIDO #BridgeForCities @UCLG_Saiz addresses the cooperation between our UCLG and @UNIDO “In a world shaped by accelerating technological change, climate emergencies and growing inequalities, we must strengthen collaboration to turn global ambition into local action. Together, we can build bridges between innovation and the needs of our communities, advancing a new generation of universal local public services.”

🌐#Listen2Cities 🖋️At the @UNIDO @BridgeforCities, UCLG and UNIDO sign a Memorandum of Understanding, building on their cooperation through the @BridgeforCities platform and the Xi’an Joint Statement signed in the framework of the 2025 UCLG World Council. The MoU will strengthen cooperation on industrial innovation, local economic development and city-industry partnerships, and support the joint development of the ScaleX Alliance for Cities, leveraging Bridge for Cities as a platform for cooperation and engagement.

📍9th Summit of Local and Regional Governments on Biodiversity #COP17Armenia 💬 Aminata Niakaté, Deputy Mayor of Paris: “#LocalGovs are on the frontline of biodiversity implementation, from greener public spaces to schoolyard oases. They need direct access to international finance to scale up action.”    🌳 The Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments is advancing local solutions that bring nature closer to people.

📍9th Summit of Local and Regional Governments on Biodiversity #COP17Armenia 🗣️ @pablomarmisol, our Assistant Secretary General of Partnerships: 💬 “Implementation is highly political. Our constituency delivers every day, advancing justice and ensuring access to basic services — because everyday essentials are human rights.”

✨#Listen2Cities The #VeniceWinterSchool wraps up with the commitment to breaking silos for SDG Localization @SDGLocalAction @UNDP with these three key messages ✅Cities and territories must be at the center. Public services should respond to people's needs and rights. ✅Local governments are not just service providers. They can lead change, but they need resources, powers and strong partnerships. ✅ We need to move from separate projects to shared missions. We need common goals, joint action and concrete results. You can see all of the presentations by the cities at the #VeniceWinterSchool here! 👉sdglocalaction.org/city-pres….

✨#Listen2Cities 🚟The second day of #VeniceWinterSchool @UNDP @SDGLocalAction placed the focus on a caring view of our public space and how to ensure a sustainable mobility. 🗣️“Mobility is about making rights accessible. It determines whether people can reach their jobs, healthcare, school and where they develop their lives. Who can move safely and who gets left behind.” @mariale_rico, Head of Programs, UCLG 🗣️“What we measure shapes what we value, and what we prioritize for funding” Harini Ravichandran, Senior Assistant Director, @The_CLC_SG, Singapore 🗣️"Mobility is not gender neutral. Over 55% of all journeys are made by women. Treating public transport and urban mobility without applying a gender lens risks unequal outcomes." - @Cande0420, Undersecretary of @Bogota District Secretariat of Mobility 🗣️“A consistent policy of reduction of the space for vehicles for private motorized vehicles to reduce congestion, increase green spaces and reach your climate goal can only be legitimate and possible if you offer a strong alternative in public transportation.” — Ramon Canal Oliveras, Coordinator of @bcn_ajuntament Climate Plan"

🌐#Listen2Cities UCLG is pleased to contribute to the @OECD @UNHABITAT Global Measurement Framework for SDG Localization. Reliable local evidence is essential to make territorial realities visible, track progress &inequalities, &inform policies, financing &stronger multilevel cooperation.

🛳️Day 1 of the #VeniceWinterSchool comes to a close! Together with @UNDP @SDGLocalAction and local governments from across the world, we explored concrete solutions that are already driving a new generation of public services: more inclusive, sustainable, accessible and responsive to people's needs. Today's exchanges highlighted how cities are innovating, overcoming institutional barriers and working with communities to transform the way public services are designed and delivered. ♻️The cities of @prefsalvador, Abuja, @CityofCT Čajetina, @PublicKmc, @DSanMiguelito and Usulután Norte brought different realities to one shared challenge: building inclusive, sustainable waste systems. 🏠The cities of @nycgov , @gcba , @AlcaldiaDeCali, @Stadgent , @GobCDMX and @saricambel explored how local governments can reach those too often left behind. From organising tenants and advancing gender equality to simplifying access to services and strengthening citizen engagement, the message is clear: inclusion must shape how public institutions work, not simply what they deliver. Local governments are at the forefront of this transformation, turning innovation into tangible improvements in people's lives. Looking forward to Day 2, with more experiences, practical solutions and opportunities to learn from one another!