Altay Highlights Global Role of Local Governments

Uğur Ibrahim Altay, President of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and Mayor of Konya Metropolitan Municipality, attended the Board of Directors Meeting of the United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia Organization (UCLG-MEWA).

The meeting, hosted by the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality with the theme "Local Diplomacy: Building the Urban Future," began with a moment of silence and prayers for Palestine under Israeli oppression.

In his speech, Uğur İbrahim Altay emphasized that local and regional governments must play an active role in building peace, stating, "Today, it is impossible for us to remain silent in the face of the inhumane attacks in Palestine and Lebanon, and the systematic genocide that Israel continues against innocent people. The tragedy in Palestine will go down in the history of humanity as a dark stain, and we must stand together against this oppression. What the terrorist state of Israel is doing in Palestine and Lebanon is not just a regional conflict, but an international moral issue. Since Israel has not been stopped, it expands the scope of its genocide every day."

President Altay highlighted that over the 20-year journey of UCLG, each passing year has brought new opportunities for local and regional governments. He continued:

"It is now widely acknowledged that issues such as a sustainable future, green transformation, and the prevention of inequalities cannot be solved without local governments. Our critical position requires us to focus not only on addressing the challenges of our cities but also on finding solutions to regional and global problems. In this regard, the thematic meetings we will hold are of great importance for the future of our cities. Local diplomacy, intercity cooperation, and local governments taking on more effective roles at the international level will make our cities more resilient and sustainable. Within this framework, we must implement the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This responsibility does not fall solely on local governments but requires the entire society to work together. Our cities must play a leading role in achieving these goals, utilizing resources efficiently, and taking innovative steps to protect the environment. I firmly believe that the discussions we hold here today will create new cooperation opportunities for cities in our region and around the world and will contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals."