2nd World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments

Building on the legacy of the First World Assembly of Cities and Local Authorities (WACLA), held immediately prior to the Habitat II Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1996, the Second World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments is the mechanism through which the local and regional government constituency will provide formal input to the New Urban Agenda to be adopted at Habitat III taking place in Quito, Ecuador, from 17-20 October 2016. The New Urban Agenda will make recommendations to guide urban development policy across the world in the coming decades.

The Second World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments is convened by the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, a coordination mechanism set up in 2013 at the initiative of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) President and Mayor of Istanbul, Kadir Topbaş.

The Second World Assembly is a three-part process to be held over the course of 2016. It consists of:

• A first session held ahead of the Habitat III Informal Hearings with Local Authorities Associations in New York, US, on 15 May 2016;
• A second session to be held in Bogotá, Colombia, on 14 October 2016, and during the 5th UCLG World Congress: World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders;
• A final gathering that convenes in Quito, Ecuador, on 16 October 2016, back-to-back with Habitat III Conference.