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World Council in Haikou
The 2014 UCLG World Council will be held in Haikou at the kind invitation of Mayor Ni Qiang, in conjunction with the Guangzhou Award. The Statutory Meetings to be held include the celebration of the Executive Bureau and World Council, 24-26 November in Haikou. The programme also contains Learning Events related to the Second Edition of the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation, 27-28 November in Guangzhou.
Fatimetou Mint Abdel Malick,  first preparatory committee meeting of the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction
The first preparatory committee meeting of the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction is held from 14 to 15 July 2014 at the Palais des Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland.
Main Stories
Call for Peace from the President of UCLG
As, is well known, local authorities are on the frontline when disasters or armed conflicts hit local people, and it is the responsibility of these authorities to meet the basic needs of people, ranging from provision of water and food to waste collection.
Highlights of the UCLG Executive Bureau meetings
The UCLG Executive Bureau took place on 19th June in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in conjunction with the BT World Local Leaders Summit. Over 250 participants from 48 countries participated in the meeting, which included policy dialogues on Public Space, Localization of the Post-2015 Agenda, Governance and Growth and Equality.
UCLG Champions - 6th Steering Committee of GPEDC
The Sixth Steering Committee of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) met on 9th July in New York. It was the first time that UCLG and ORU FOGAR participated in the Steering Committee as full members since Busan.
UNDP 2014 Human Development Report
Persistent vulnerability threatens human development, and unless it is systematically tackled by specific policies and social norms, progress will be neither equitable nor sustainable. This is the central theme of the 2014 Human Development Report.
#WorldPopulationDay
The UN reported that an additional 2.5 billion people are predicted to live in urban areas by 2050, highlighting the need for a successful urban planning agenda and greater attention to be given to smaller cities where nearly half of all people reside.
Take part in the Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction
The Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction is now open for applications until the 31st October 2014. The award aims to recognise communities, individuals, local and national governments, civil society and private sector organizations, under the theme "Shaping the Future".
UCLG Sections & members
SDGs
After a week of negotiations, the Open Working Group concluded its thirteenth session on Saturday 19th July and adopted a final proposal for the Sustainable Development Goals of the Post-2015 Agenda, which will be presented for consideration at the next United Nations General Assembly in September 2014.
METROPOLIS Initiatives
With the submission of 16 proposals from Agra, Barcelona, Berlin, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Île-de-France (Paris),Johannesburg, Mexico City, Rosario, São Paulo State, Santiago de Chile and the Kreanta Foundation.
European Commission launches 5th Access City Award competition
EU cities are invited to participate in the fifth edition of the Access City Award - The European Prize for making cities more accessible to people with disabilities and older people. The European Commission continues to encourage cities to present their activities and strategies designed to make cities barrier-free, better places to live for everyone.
FMDV
The Global Fund for Cities Development (FMDV) launches two new regional publications on Urban Financing within the framework of the global program REsolutions to Fund Cities. REsolutions Europe: Local innovations to finance cities and regions and REsolutions America Latina: Panorama and tools for financing urban development.
World Smart Cities Awards
This pioneering initiative recognizes the most ambitious Smart City strategies, the most advanced projects and the most innovative initiatives around the world fostering the development of the Smart City concept. The aim of the award is to nurture the development of future cities thus enhancing quality of life, sustainability, innovation, creativity, competitiveness, and efficient management and administration.
CEMR
Local and regional elected representatives and heads of national associations of municipalities and regions from all over Europe gathered in Łódź (Poland), on 23-24 June 2014, at the occasion of the meeting of the Policy Committee - CEMR's main governing body.
Migration
The Barcelona Declaration, signed by representatives from cities and international organisations gathered in the Catalan capital, underlines the importance of local authorities in terms of integration for migrants, and calls for further recognition of this role. The Forum on Migration, Mobility and Development, which was held in Barcelona, ended with all the attendees accepting the ‘Barcelona Declaration’.
Roland Ries
The 5th edition of the Forum of International Action by Local Authorities was a resounding success, with nearly 1,500 participants, delegations from over thirty countries, and visits from Annick Girardin, French Secretary of State for Development and la Francophonie.
COMMITTEES, WORKING GROUPS, COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE & FORA
Communicate from UCLG Middle-East working group
As violence escalates in the Gaza strip and in Israel, United Cites and Local governments Middle-East woorking group shares its deep concerns over the growing number of deaths and injuries of civilians, including children and women, in the conflict.
nomveliso speaking un dcf
“For those of you who were present in Berlin, at the DCF Germany Symposium, let me recall a particular moment when a mayor was so moved by what was being discussed on the panel, that while making her comments from the floor, she walked up to the podium and handed flyers to the panelists.
#culture2015goal
The Declaration on the inclusion of culture in the Sustainable Development Goals post-2015 has received endorsement from 120 countries, with 1,700 signatories, including more than 600 organizations. The Zero draft of SDGs will be presented to the United Nations on 14-18 July 2014 and then be submitted for debate at the General Assembly this autumn.
survey on Urban Governance
Under the coordination of LSE Cities, and with the collaboration of UN Habitat, the UCLG Decentralisation and Local Governance Committee is launching a survey on Urban Governance. Initial results of this survey will inform the 2014 Urban Age Conference in Delhi, India which will bring together a wide range of policy makers.
UCLG Champions
The President of the UN Economic and Social Council, H.E. Mr. Martin Sajdik, opened the UN Development Cooperation Forum in New York by calling for challenging interventions. He referred to the intervention made by UCLG Champion Célestine Ketcha Epse Courtès.
Santa Cruz - Cape Verde
The "Credits System" is an instrument that was created to implement the Participatory Consolidation Project, which was carried out, promoted and funded by the Pedra Badejo and Liebnitz Friendship Association in the Municipality of Santa Cruz, Cape Verde.
The Committee on Decentralisation and Local Self-Government
The UCLG Committee on Decentralisation and Local Self-Government introduces its new website www.uclg-decentralisation.org, with a more interactive and dynamic interface. This new website aims to bring awareness on decentralisation and local autonomy.
Blog
Canoas
In 2009, the current administration of Canoas began an innovative project within the city management department, based on transparency, citizen participation, social inclusion and the qualification of public services. The Popular and Citizen Participation System is a set of 13 projects that contribute to more decentralized, systemic and democratic management.
The report reviews issues of access, legal and institutional frameworks, service management and  financing, and governance structures. It works to strike a balance between the presentation of global  and national level data, and local level case studies. Of course one of the limitations of the report, is  that in taking a global approach to the subject matter there is very little space to go in-depth on the  complex conditions found within countries, or the very real differences between different local  gov
Basic Services for All in an Urbanizing World is the third instalment in United Cities and Local Government’s (UCLG) flagship series of global reports on local democracy and decentralisation (GOLD III). In the context of rapid urbanisation, climate change and economic uncertainty the report is an impressive attempt.