Today, the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments (WALRG) opened in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The event is being held in parallel with the second session of the United Nations Assembly on Sustainable Urban Development (UN-Habitat). At the opening of WALRG, President of the UN Advisory Committee of Local Authorities (UNACLA) and Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin delivered a keynote address.
“Today, we must make additional efforts to shape the New Urban Agenda as a fundamental building block for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and to emphasize the role of localization as a catalyst for all global development programs. As President of UNACLA, I commit to making every possible effort in this direction,” said Ilsur Metshin in his address to the session delegates.
He stressed that this agenda is addressed directly to cities and regions: “This agenda is for people, for the planet, for local democracy, and for governance through partnership. It is a program of the transformation we need.”
Ilsur Metshin also noted that only a few countries are currently in a political position that allows them to turn the Urban Agenda into reality. “We all must move in this direction to preserve and promote common goods - especially air, water, and soil - and to ensure the universal and effective right to access vital resources,” he stated.