From 11 to 13 November the city of Guangzhou will host the virtual UCLG World Council 2020 on “The role of the International Municipal and Regional Movement in Covid times”

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu will be one the main panellists for the Executive Bureau Session, on Thursday 12 November, alongside high representatives from UN-Habitat, Municipality of Guangzhou, and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC).

14:30 – 15:15 (CET) Official Opening of the World Council of UCLG 

• Welcome by Dr Mohamed Boudra, President of UCLG
• Address from Mr Lin Songtian, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) 
• Address from Mr QU Dongyu, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the Unites Nations
• Address from Ms Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat ➢ Address from Mr Wen Guohui, Mayor of Guangzhou

15:30 – 17:00 (CET) Policy Debate: Addressing inequalities, key in the COVID era

Background and objectives:

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities worldwide, marking a historical turning point: taking or not action towards urban and territorial equality now can have a determinant impact on the future of humanity and the planet. The Durban Declaration defines the Local and regional governments movement as an equality driven one. The UCLG membership is convinced we have a critical role to play. Yet for our transformational potential to come to fruiting it is necessary to promote a collective learning process that permits identifying context-sensitive, actionable pathways that lead to urban and territorial equality in the COVID-19 era.

Attending its mandate, UCLG is already working along these lines to elaborate the Sixth report of the Global Observatory on Local Democracy. The session seeks to present the guiding ideas that the Report will be working on and to take stock of the vision of UCLG leadership on the topic as inspiration to the deliberations taking place around this in 2021.

Introduction by the UCLG Presidency

Special Guests

• Caren Levy, Professor of Transformative Urban Planning, The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, University College of London and member of the GOLD VI Steering Committee
• Adriana Allen, President of Habitat International Coalition and member of the GOLD VI Steering Committee 

Round Tables with UCLG Executive Bureau Members

• Taking stock - The critical need to put inequalities at the top of the shared agenda of local and regional governments and communities
• Building up a collective response – What is the role of UCLG 
  
  

17:00 – 18:00 (CET) Business Session of the UCLG Executive Bureau

Welcome by the UCLG President
Powering the Network

Chaired by Mayor of Xi An

Statutory and Organic issues that underpin the work of the Organization.
Reports by the Presidency and Chairs of Respective Committees

1. Report of the Rome Executive Bureau
2. Report of the Committee on Statutory Affairs
3. Report of the Financial Management Committee

Looking Ahead: Tools to Contribute to Recovery