Ugur Ibrahim Altay Leads UCLG-MEWA Meeting

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

The UCLG-MEWA Board of Directors Meeting, hosted by Aksaray Municipality, was held under the theme "Shaping the Future of Local Governance and Quality of Life."

Speaking at the program, UCLG and Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay stated that Aksaray, located in the heart of Turkey and neighboring Konya, holds an important position as a city contributing to the vision of sustainable cities.

Mayor Altay emphasized that cities are the deepest memories of human history, saying, “Cities are the places where civilization is born, cultures are shaped, and ideas take root. They are not defined merely by their physical structures but by the human stories they hold, social relationships, economic dynamics, and cultural richness. Cities shape the identity of a society. The solutions to the global challenges we face today also lie within cities. Climate change, migration, social inequality, digital transformation, and crises are not only global issues but also part of the urban agenda. These problems are felt on our streets, in our squares, and neighborhoods. Therefore, cities are no longer just implementers of decisions; they are at the heart of decision-making processes. In this context, UCLG-MEWA, representing our region, continues to successfully fulfill its mission as the global voice of local governments.”

Highlighting the strong participation from the Middle East and West Asia, as well as the active contributions of many municipalities from Turkey that have transformed MEWA into a strategic regional organization within the UCLG structure, Mayor Altay stated, “With this strong representation, we will strengthen regional solidarity while continuing to have a voice in global governance. Today, we will jointly address many vital issues—from measuring the increasingly critical concept of quality of life, to localizing the Sustainable Development Goals, from adapting to climate change to governance reforms. I sincerely believe this meeting will be a turning point that brings ideas together, expands collective wisdom, and generates concrete collaborations.”

Emphasizing the strong participation from the Middle East and West Asia, along with the active contributions of many municipalities from Turkey that have transformed MEWA into a strategic regional organization within the UCLG structure, Mayor Altay said, “With this strong representation, we will strengthen regional solidarity while continuing to have a voice in global governance. Today, we will jointly address many vital issues—from measuring the increasingly critical concept of quality of life to localizing the Sustainable Development Goals, from adapting to climate change to governance reforms. I sincerely believe this meeting will be a turning point that brings ideas together, expands collective wisdom, and leads to concrete collaborations.”