The first meeting of the UCLG Presidency 2010-2013 took place on 25th January in Barcelona, the seat of the World Organization.
President Topbas opened the session stressing the importance of "working together and building on the diverse membership and leadership to drive UCLG into a new phase". The President described this phase as that of achievements. He further referred to "the responsibility of local governments in ensuring global peace in the interconnected world".
Five out of the seven members of the Presidency attended the meeting in person, Kadir Topbas, Mayor of Istanbul, President; and Co-Presidents: Johnny Araya, Mayor of San Jose; Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan; Muchadeyi Masunda, Mayor of Harare; and the Treasurer Ted Ellis, Mayor of Bluffton, USA. The rest of the members of the Presidency were represented.
The main issues on the agenda of the meeting were: the appointment of an Interim Manager, the Work Programme of the first semester of 2011, including the recruitment of the new Secretary General, and the development of the UCLG Strategic Exercise.
Jordi Hereu, Mayor of Barcelona and host of the meeting expressed the commitment of Barcelona in "continuing its contributions to the development of the World Organization and the need to ensure the voice of local governments is increasingly heard internationally".
Key decisions:
- The confirmation of Clarence Anthony, former Honorary Auditor of UCLG, as Interim Manager following the announced retirement of Elisabeth Gateau in December 2010.
- Place and date of the next Executive Bureau: Rabat, Morocco on the 22-23 of June
- The process of recruitment of the Secretary General was confirmed as per the recommendations of the Committee on Statutory Affairs in Mexico:
o Deadline for candidatures: 1 March
o Interviews by the Committee on Statutory Affairs are expected to take place Mid May in Istanbul.
o Presentation of the new Secretary General at the Executive Bureau in June.
- The UCLG Strategic Exercise will be carried forward in 2011 with the support of external facilitators and will feature workshops with members and partners.
- The production of the Third Global Report dedicated to Public Basic Services, GOLD III will start in the first part of the year.
- Additional resource mobilization will be initiated to support both the ongoing operations and the development of new products.
- The UCLG President will meet the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in February to present the outcomes of Mexico City and the work plan of its Presidency.
- Meetings of the Presidency will be scheduled at regular bases and will be hosted in the cities of each of the Co-Presidents.