UCLG & Global Taskforce

The 2nd Forum of European Union, Latin American and Caribbean Local Governments, which took place from 5 to 7 May at Victoria-Gasteiz, Spain, brought some 150 local and regional representatives together. in preparation for the EU, Latin America, Carribean Summit, to be held from 17 to 18 May in Madrid.

The forum, organised by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), aimed at allowing for elected officials to discuss the role of local and regional authorities as a driving force for innovation.

Louis Le Pensec, Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) Vice-President, and President of CEMR's French member association, the AFCCRE, attended the forum as CEMR representative. 'We must strengthen the contribution made by local and regional authorities at the international level in favour of development, democracy, peace and comprehension."

At this occasion, Le Pensec mentioned Platforma, a platform bringing together local and regional authorities in favour of development and whose Secretariat is managed by CEMR. He also underlined the importance of the European Charter on Development Cooperation in Support of Local Governance, whose technical secretariat is managed by Platforma. The Charter aims at improving the coherence, the complementarity and the efficiency of interventions carried out by European actors cooperating at the local level.