The municipalist movement is heavy-hearted with the passing of Kjeld Jakobsen. He served as International Relations Secretary of São Paulo (2001-2004) and was a crucial actor for the process of unification of Latin American local governments associations, the foundation of United Cities and Local Governments, and as the first President for São Paulo.
He will also be remembered as a fundamental role in the process of internationalization of Brazilian cities, as São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Contagem, and in the formation of the Brazilian Forum International Relations Secretaries and Managers (FONARI).
Kjeld was a reference for a generation of Brazilian and Latin American municipalists, for the fostering of south-south decentralized cooperation, always advocating for a multilaterist way of building a more equal, participatory and democratic world, from the local governments. United Cities and Local Governments expresses gratitude on behalf of the municipal movement, and our profound condolences to his family.