UCLG President Altay Attends UCLG Mercociudades Summit

Ugur Ibrahim Altay, President of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and Mayor of Konya Metropolitan Municipality, attended the UCLG Mercociudades Summit.

The Mercociudades Summit, the annual meeting of Mercociudades, UCLG’s network of local governments in Latin America, was held for the 30th time in the city of Niterói in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Altay attended the 30th Mercociudades Summit, held under the theme “Paths Toward Resilient, Peaceful, and Sustainable Cities,” where he met with mayors from Latin American countries as well as local and regional leaders.

Speaking at the program, President Altay thanked Niterói Mayor and Mercociudades Vice President Rodrigo Neves, Secretary General Lorenzo Lautaro, and all stakeholders who contributed to the organization for their warm and generous hospitality.

Highlighting that climate issues remain a critical priority for UCLG, President Altay continued his speech as follows:

“We are committed to developing resilient economic models, supporting inclusive urban policies, strengthening climate adaptation strategies, promoting participatory governance, and advancing peace-oriented city diplomacy for the future of our planet. For this reason, every step that strengthens our organization is extremely valuable to us.

We must benefit from the experiences of Brazil—one of UCLG Latin America’s important countries—and from Mercociudades. I would also like to emphasize how critical the role of our regional organizations will be within the UCLG governing bodies that will be determined for the 2026–2029 term.

If UCLG has a mission of global leadership, its foundation must be the strong participation of regions, fair representation, and democratic mechanisms that reflect the real needs of our cities. I believe the role Mercociudades will play in this process will be crucial in shaping the future, vision, and global impact of UCLG.”

President Altay also met with Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira and other leaders attending the summit. During these meetings, he emphasized their firm commitment to building fairer and more livable cities.