15 October 2016: Over 5,000 mayors, councilors, representatives of local governments, and other interested policymakers, practitioners and citizens gathered for the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders. The Summit included the second session of the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments, which adopted a statement containing key recommendations for the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III).

The World Summit took place from 12-15 October 2016, in Bogotá, Colombia, immediately prior to Habitat III. The main expected outcome from Habitat III, the New Urban Agenda, is intended to guide urban development policy across the world during the next two decades. Habitat III takes place from 17-20 October 2016, in Quito, Ecuador.

Convened under the theme ‘Local Voices for a Better World,’ and organized by United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the World Summit also included plenaries, two permanent working platforms, workshops, policy dialogues, community forums, learning forums and other interactive sessions. Also during the Summit, the Fifth UCLG World Congress convened, and the UCLG World Council elected the new UCLG President for 2016-2019, Mpho Parks Tau, Councilor of Johannesburg, South Africa, and President, South African Local Government Association. The World Council also adopted the Summit’s outcome document, ‘The Bogotá Commitment and Action Agenda.’

In addition, UCLG launched the Fourth Global Report on Local Democracy and Decentralization (GOLD IV) The GOLD IV report provides analysis, innovative examples and case studies from around the globe to support the recommendations of the Global Agenda of Local and Regional Governments for the 21st Century.

In the statement, the Second World Assembly celebrates the adoption of the ‘Quito Declaration on Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements for All’ by UN Member States, as well as the commitments of Member States contained therein. In addition, local and regional governments commit to:

• leading local action for global sustainability by localizing international policy agendas;
• adopting an integrated territorial approach to sustainable development;
• fostering inclusive economic development and decent jobs;
• moving towards sustainable production and consumption patterns;
• empowering citizens, particularly women;
• harnessing integrated urban and territorial planning;
• integrating culture as the fourth pillar of sustainable development;
• increasing the transparency and accountability of local and regional institutions;
• building solidarity between cities and territories;
• collaborating internationally through decentralized development cooperation and peer-to-peer learning; and
• working toward effective engagement in the implementation and follow-up of the New Urban Agenda.

They also call on the international community to: embark on a new era of partnership in global governance; link up the implementation and follow-up of all global sustainability agendas; improve municipal infrastructure; create a Global Partnership for Localizing Finance; and recognize the need for the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments to become a significant and representative mechanism through which local and regional governments can provide political guidance and technical follow-up on the global sustainability agenda.

The World Assembly is facilitated by the UCLG-coordinated Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments (GTF). [IISD RS Coverage of 2016 World Summit and 5th UCLG World Congress] [2016 World Summit and 5th UCLG World Congress Website] [Second World Assembly Webpage] [UN Secretary-General Video Message at World Summit] [UN Secretary-General Remarks at Third Session of Second World Assembly] [UCLG Press Release on Bogotá Commitment and Action Agenda] [Bogotá Commitment and Action Agenda] [GTF Press Release on the Statement of the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments to Habitat III] [Statement of the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments to Habitat III]