The City of Haikou China is preparing to host the UCLG World Council in Haikou between the 23 and 26 of November, in the organization’s 10th anniversary year. At the World Council local and regional leaders will discuss the central issues defining the global development agenda in the coming years in a series of conferences, roundtables, and policy debates.
Issues that will be discussed at the World Council include: How can universal access to basic services be ensured, particularly in informal settlements? What are the main opportunities and challenges of increased citizen participation in basic service provision? How can partnerships with communities contribute to reducing inequalities and promoting community cohesion?
Highlights of the Programme
Committee meetings are scheduled on Sunday 23 and Monday 24, notably the Standing Committee on Gender Equality, the Committees on Urban Strategic Planning, Local Finance and Development, Peripheral Cities, Development Cooperation, Cities Diplomacy and Culture, as well as the Working Groups on Local Economic Development and the Disaster Management Taskforce.
- A Plenary on Local Economic and Social Development will be held on Monday 24 November, 9h30-11h00, at Hainan International Convention & Exhibition Center, Salle VIP 301. Local economic development (LED) is a key concern for local and regional leaders. Cities are engines of growth and take the lead on economic development and innovation. Even though it might not officially be their responsibility, their constituents frequently demand that they create employment and economic growth.
- Roundtables on Local Public Service Provision and the key towards bridging Inequalities . In the context of the ongoing debates on the global development agenda and the climate change negotiations, the provision of basic services and infrastructures is one of the most important challenges to securing sustainable development in regions and, particularly, in urban areas, whose population is set to grow by one and a half billion people over the next 15 years. Three consecutive round tables will be organized around this subject before the Executive Bureau.
- Service Provision in inclusive cities and territories (Tuesday 25 November, 09h00-12h00at Shangri-la Hotel – Grand Hall)
- Access to Water key for a Sustainable Future (Tuesday 25 November, 10:00-11:00 at Shangri-La Hotel – Grand Hall)
- Innovating in Governance to bridge inequalities (Tuesday 25 November, 11:00-12:00 at Shangri-La Hotel – Grand Hall)
The opening ceremony of the UCLG World Council will take place on Wednesday 26 and will be attended by Mr. Jiang Dingzhi, Governor of the Province of Hainan, Ms. Li Xiaolin, President of the Chinese people's association for friendship with foreign countries, Chen Jianhua, Mayor of Guangzhou and UCLG Co-President, Kadir Topbaş, Mayor of Istanbul and UCLG President and Mr. Qiang Ni, Mayor of Haikou.
- Local and regional governments in the global development agenda (Wednesday 26 November Hainan International Convention & Exhibition Center, Multi-functional Hall)
This policy session will provide three different visions of the role of local and regional governments in the new development agenda. These discussions will precede the work of the statutory meetings of the World Council.
The statutory meetings of UCLG will allow the organization to analyze and define the great challenges that it must face by 2015, a year in which an unprecedented number of important international decisions on a wide range of topics will be taken.
Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation
This year, the Second Edition of the 2014 International Award for Urban Innovation will be celebrated following the UCLG World Council. The Award Ceremony, co-organized by UCLG, Metropolis and the City of Guangzhou, will be held in the city of Guangzhou from 27 to 29 November, on the occasion of the Guangzhou International Urban Innovation Conference.
