UCLG has long called for the inclusion of local leaders in international governance mechanisms. The Global Taskforce of Local Regional Governments, facilitated by UCLG, is currently actively advocating for the UN to build on the achievements of the Habitat II Conference and to grant special accreditation to local and regional government networks at Habitat III.
Yesterday, In an opinion piece entitled “Habitat III is all about cities. The UN should give them a seat at the table”, published in the Cities section of The Guardian website, Citiscope Editor-in-Chief, Neal Peirce, put forward a compelling argument in support of UCLG and the Global Taskforce’s case for giving a greater role to local leaders at Habitat III.
In the article, Peirce highlights the work of cities at the forefront of finding solutions to climate change, and points to organizations like UCLG as proof that the local government constituency is ready and able to contribute to global negotiations on climate change and Habitat III:
“With all this organised experience, it’s not always clear why nation-states are so reluctant to welcome cities into their official sessions.”
Click here to find out more about the advocacy work of the local and regional government networks of the Global Taskforce on the road to Habitat III.
