Collaborations for Change Established at the World Cities Summit

United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia Regional Organization (UCLG-MEWA) Executive Board Meeting and the "Brussels Urban Summit" themed meeting were held in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, between 12-15 June 2023.

For three days, city problems were discussed by mayors, policy makers and experts from different countries and cities. The summit focused on the resilience of fortified cities, emphasizing the governance challenges faced by cities in different regions and access to finance.

At the summit, where WALD Chairman of the Board was also a participant, the idea was supported that cities can foster innovation, effectively address global challenges through policies, and build resilience. In addition, the importance of good governance solutions that offer value to all stakeholders and bring strategic solutions to common challenges was emphasized. Participants discussed promoting global solidarity, creating inter-city cooperation and facilitating access to urban solutions. In addition, it was underlined that cities should actively participate in decision-making processes. At the meeting, it was also stated that city representatives should be included in the dialogues and high participants in order to effectively implement the Paris Agreement (12 December 2015) and the Sustainable Development Goals. The use of low-carbon energy sources and sustainable climate adaptation were considered by the participants as important discussion topics of the summit.