The Executive Bureau, which gathers twice a year, is responsible for initiating proposals and carrying out the decisions of the World Council. It is in charge of the World Organization’s administrative and financial management. It prepares the ground for the content of the meetings of the World Council and the General Assembly. Members are nominated by the sections from among members of the World Council and are ratified by the General Assembly.
The World Council is the principal policy making body of the World Organization. It meets once a year to decide the World Organization’s policies and ensure that general policies are implemented. Members are nominated by the sections and are ratified by the General Assembly.
Our statutory gatherings, which started out as the internal decision-making processes of UCLG, have grown into true policymaking events, with special emphasis placed upon them to further dialogues among representatives of national governments and local and regional elected officials, and the development of the policymaking mechanisms within UCLG as a means to strengthen and align the priorities of the organization.
Who is expected to come to these gatherings?
Both of the gatherings gather some of the key representatives from all parts of our Movement: Our political representatives the Secretariats of our Regional Sections, our Committees and Working groups and major partners are the invitees to these gatherings, many of whom request to be invited.
The scope of our Executive Bureau and our World Council, has gone beyond our Network. Representatives from sister Networks of the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments have come together during the framework of these meetings in preparation of some of the key advocacy events of the year, and our focus on policymaking has allowed us to bring representatives of National Governments.
What’s in it for the different participants?
Our political representatives lead the way through debates and dialogues, often with other key stakeholders on development and National Governments. Past editions of our gatherings have allowed us to advance our political agenda in key issues such as peace, local democracy, and local finance. 
The UCLG Statutory meetings have also evolved over these years into gatherings that enhance the cohesion among other parts of the Network. They have seen other organization members such as Metropolis, UCCI, and Mercociudades convene their statutory meetings, as well as the meetings of Working Groups, Communities of Practice and Committees take place within our Executive Bureaus and World Councils.
Our political representatives are the ones who provide the vision and the direction for the networks’ actions, and those who take the key decisions both for the governance of the organization, and for the policy of the organization through the debates of the UCLG Policy Councils, that take place during these gatherings.
Our World Sections present their perspectives and priorities, they help identify the necessary collaborations among the different parts of the network, and strengthen the synergies between the different work plans.
Partners from the international community also take part in our policymaking debates, are able to host sessions and advance our agenda, engaging with the heart and soul of the municipal movement to propose joint solutions for the challenges of our time.
Outcomes
The Executive Bureau and World Council are responsible both for the general policy orientation of UCLG and for internal matters. Hence the decisions that members are invited to take can be very diverse. 
The Executive Bureau approves and submits the annual budget, accounts and reports to the World Council. It appoints the Committee on Statutory Affairs and the Financial Management Committee, as well as the independent external auditors for the organization. The Executive Bureau can also make recommendations about international processes and policies, for example the involvement of UCLG in the climate agenda, participation in UN Conferences or the production of policy papers.
The World Council approves the annual budget and accounts submitted by the Executive Bureau. It decides on issues related to membership. Every three years, during the World Congress, the World Council elects the President, Co-Presidents and Treasurer of the organization, and ratifies nominations for the Vice-Presidents. It appoints the members of the Executive Bureau from among its members. The World Council also takes decisions on internal affairs, such as the annual work plan and the strategic priorities of the organization. As per the recommendations of the Executive Bureau, it might also be called upon to approve policy papers and publications produced by members of UCLG, and it is informed of any relevant international processes.
