From 17 to 21 June, the 79th Annual Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors is taking place in Baltimore. Counting with the presence of more than 200 Mayors, this years’ general topics include Mayors Climate Protection, Job Creation, Innovation, Environment and Security in cities.

United Cities and Local Governments, represented by its President Kadir Topbas, Mayor of Istanbul, fully identified with these topics and dealt with them both locally and at the global level, as the concerns and possible solutions have a great deal in common across the global stage. UCLG reaffirmed the multiple international initiatives taken by the World Organisation, addressing global challenges that are daily concerns for local leaders everywhere: how to improve mobility in our cities, how to ensure a sustainable future while guaranteeing good access to services for our citizens, how do we make our cities resilient to the unavoidable impacts of climate change, how do we ensure job creation and economic growth, how do we promote active participation of our youth. «Cities and local governments can play an important role in all topics mentioned», added the President of UCLG.

UCLG recalled its willingness to move towards self-governing cities and made a call for American cities to join the World Organisation in its worldwide move towards better cities and better a life for our communities.