President Parks Tau visits the Barcelona headquarters

new President Parks Tau visits the Barcelona headquarters

Photo credit: UCLG/Mark Schardan 

The new UCLG President, Parks Tau, visited the UCLG World Secretariat on 18-19 January, with the aim of discussing our action plan for 2017 and the strategy for the implementation of the 2030 and Habitat III Agendas. During this special visit, President Tau underlined his will to enhance the network and continue UCLG’s legacy “to build democratic and sustainable territories based on solidarity”.

Mpho Parks Tau, President of the South African Local Government Association and Councillor of Johannesburg was elected President of the World Organization on 15 October 2016 in Bogotá, in the framework of the UCLG Congress and World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders

This first visit to the UCLG headquarters was a great opportunity to meet the World Secretariat staff and the Secretariats of the Committees based in Barcelona, as well as the staff of Metropolis and the International Association of Educating Cities.

The agenda of the President also included a meeting with the Mayor of the Barcelona and Co-President of UCLG, Ada Colau. Both local leaders discussed the importance of local action towards sustainability and the challenges ahead towards the implementation of the recently adopted global agendas.

  

Enhacing the network

On the last day of this visit, the whole UCLG World Secretariat team presented and shared their activities, programmes and proposals for 2017 and beyond with the President. Parks Tau congratulated the team for all the past achievements and stressed the need "to acknowledge the diversity of UCLG members as a strength for the localization of the global agendas in our territories" going forward.

The roadmap for the joint UCLG strategy will be shaped during the third edition of the Annual Retreat, taking place in Barcelona from 20 to 24 February 2017, as well as in the Campus for Committees and Working Groups, taking place on 26 and 27 January. These two gatherings will bring together representatives of the Presidency, Sections, Committees and key partners of our World Organization, and will be the occasion to harness the power of our network and continue our work based on the collaboration and achievements of the last few years, as well as increase visibility and impact at all levels.

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