A delegation of UCLG is heading to Washington next week. The global association of cities and local governments will attend the Winter gathering of the US Conference of Mayors with over 300 USA mayors expected and will also visit its longstanding member, the National League of Cities also based in Washington. The delegation aims to build closer links with American mayors and ensure greater participation of USA local elected leaders internationally.
UCLG’s World Council, which has recently been described as the world parliament of mayors, has 341 seats of which 36 are reserved for North American Mayors. With Canada actively filling up their seats, over 20 seats remain available to be actively filled up by US Mayors. Why are those seats vacant?
Two reasons can be identified:On the one hand, mayors are not sure about the value added of being there. On the other, their taxpayers and voters do not support their elected officials traveling abroad on public budget.
Two reactions to the above:
Firstly, American mayors should be active internationally to exchange with their colleagues worldwide about: peace, democracy, local employment, climate change, security, mobility, social inclusion, culture and the many other local issues that require local knowledge, local decision-making and local action.
Local elected officials the world round cannot afford to miss the wealth of knowledge and experience of their American colleagues. At the same time US mayors cannot ignore what is going on worldwide.
Secondly, we should be able to transmit to US local taxpayers that their mayors traveling abroad, and learning from other mayors, it is not a futile expense on a travel-budget-line but an investment in learning and cooperation to improve the quality of life of citizens both at home and abroad.
There are important processes taking place in 2015, some define them as once in a generation opportunity to shape the future of our world. The Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris (December) and the Financing for Development Conference (June) and the Sustainability Summit (September) are only some of our key appointments. We cannot miss the views of American Mayors in these processes.
I hope that 2015 will be the year of renewed involvement of US Mayors inUCLG´s World Council which will hold its session during the COP21 in Paris.I hope the US mayors seats will not be empty in Paris and that US Mayors will also have an opportunity to hug Anne Hidalgo expressing solidarity and condemning terrorist attacks; a concern of any leader and citizen anywhere in the world.
Serendicity 