I. Metshin: "Not only national governments, but also local and regional authorities should be represented on the UN agenda"
The Mayor of Kazan and the President of UNACLA made such an initiative at the World Council of the United Cities and Local Authorities Organization.
"In a situation where the world has lost its balance, it is very important to maintain the stability of every city, every municipality. It is important that the voices of cities around the world sound more confident," Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of the Tatarstan capital and President of the UN Advisory Committee on Local Self-Government (UNACLA), voiced this opinion today at the business Monday in the Executive Committee of Kazan. Last week, he participated in online meetings of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Council. Here he made a proposal to include in the UN structure a new body consisting of representatives of local and regional authorities and defending their interests.
"At the last UCLG World Council, the conversation was about how our colleagues around the world are coping with the challenges that the pandemic has brought. The conversation and the pandemic itself clearly showed how important the work of each municipality is, because everyone sees their own development of the situation. Despite the fact that the problems and challenges are the same for everyone, they are solved in each region in its own way: everywhere has its own measures, its own organizational measures. It is very important that we have the opportunity to exchange best practices in real time, consult and study each other's experience," Ilsur Metshin emphasized.
Thus, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres participated in one of the videoconference sessions. "In particular, he was confronted with the question of whether cities, local and regional authorities, and not just national governments, should be represented on the UN agenda," the mayor said. The speech of the President of PANACEA found a lively response from the participants of the meeting.
The UCLG World Council was held from November 9 to 13 in Guangzhou, China. Participants from other countries of the world joined the discussions in online format. The heads of various cities of Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, South Africa, Colombia, Morocco, Great Britain, Mexico, Mauritania, Ecuador, Sweden and other countries took part in the discussions.
"At the last UCLG World Council, the conversation was about how our colleagues around the world are coping with the challenges that the pandemic has brought. The conversation and the pandemic itself clearly showed how important the work of each municipality is, because everyone sees their own development of the situation. Despite the fact that the problems and challenges are the same for everyone, they are solved in each region in its own way: everywhere has its own measures, its own organizational measures. It is very important that we have the opportunity to exchange best practices in real time, consult and study each other's experience," Ilsur Metshin emphasized.
Thus, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres participated in one of the videoconference sessions. "In particular, he was confronted with the question of whether cities, local and regional authorities, and not just national governments, should be represented on the UN agenda," the mayor said. The speech of the President of PANACEA found a lively response from the participants of the meeting.
The UCLG World Council was held from November 9 to 13 in Guangzhou, China. Participants from other countries of the world joined the discussions in online format. The heads of various cities of Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, South Africa, Colombia, Morocco, Great Britain, Mexico, Mauritania, Ecuador, Sweden and other countries took part in the discussions.
