The UCLG Retreat, acting for the Future of Humanity

16.02.2024

The UCLG Retreat, taking place in Barcelona from 19-23 February, is the living, breathing manifestation of the UCLG ecosystem. This space offers an opportunity to interact, synergise our strategies for the year, boost the connections among the different parts of the network -including the involvement of political leaders and the technical staff-, come together as a network, and reflect on our priorities for the rest of the year.

This gathering will provide a week-long occasion for over 250 members and partners of UCLG to put at the forefront the key role of local and regional governments on the redefinition of peacebuilding, address population trends, and bring their contribution to care at the forefront. The 2024 Retreat will also provide us a window into how we see the post-2030 world, with a vision in which the role of local and regional governments needs to be crucial in the re-definition of sustainable development: in how we finance it, who benefits, and in how it protects our planet.

At a glance: The 2024 UCLG Retreat

The UCLG Retreat turns itself upside down in 2024! The exercise begins with the UCLG Presidency setting the scene for the year, in a plenary session that will debate the current global trends, and contribute to develop our work plan for the year- The Global Taskforce Day will gather the principals of the GTF with the Summit of the Future in the horizon. It will be a moment to look and synchronize the organized constituency’s joint work programme and the international agenda of 2024, building on the SDG Rescue Plan and the work presented around high-impact coalitions during the SDG Summit in 2023.

The Factory of the Future, initiated in 2023, will continue in 2024 by developing a Marketplace of ideas and experiences. This will be the space for local and regional governments and partners to showcase the initiatives that they are developing to accomplish the principles of the Pact for the Future, caring for the Future of People, Planet, and Government.

The Retreat will dedicate a moment to address localisation trends, such as tackling informalities, protecting nature, and providing local public services following emerging trends such as care, artificial intelligence and heating cities, emphasis will be placed on guaranteeing these are included in the constituency’s work and advocacy efforts. The global peacebuilding agenda and the UN Pact for the future will also be addressed during this day, with an exercise on localising the New Agenda for Peace that builds on the Future Envisioning Exercises, to explore how local transformative action is at the center of bringing about peace globally.

The UCLG Retreat will offer an entire day to think big: deepening and scaling-up the work of the World Organization through the introduction of the UCLG Facilities: an instrument to trigger change, strengthening the network’s efforts to put at the forefront key political agendas as levers to re-shape action for sustainable development. The Facilities will bring together UCLG leadership, partners, coalitions, and work teams of the Organization. Three pilot Facilities will be kicked-off at the 2024 UCLG Retreat: the Local4Action, Women, and Caring Systems Facilities.

The last day of the Retreat will be dedicated to the Power of We: The Power to work in unison as a Network. It will be the time to shine for the Sections, Committees, Working Groups and Fora of UCLG, and provide an insight into how we work transversally.