UN Secretary-General António Guterres meets with the members of his advisory council on October 6. They are set to share insights on how to solve challenges related to government trust. (Photo courtesy of Mayor Abigail Binay “X” account)
MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) on Local and Regional Governments has established an advisory group comprising leaders from various parts of the world.
According to the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, one of the group’s purposes is to share insights on how to address challenges related to government trust.
“The establishment of the Advisory Group, whose creation was proposed in Our Common Agenda, right after the 2023 SDG Summit and in the run-up to the 2024 Summit of the Future, represented a historical achievement in the process of building a structural engagement of the local and regional government constituency with the United Nations,” said the task force.
The group is composed of 20 members, 15 of whom are representatives of local and regional governments nominated by their respective cities, while the other five are from member states.
It is headed by two co-chairs: Fatimetou Mint Abdel Malick, president of the Nouakchott Region in Mauritania, and Pilar Cancela Rodríguez, state secretary for international cooperation in Spain.
One of its members is Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay, who is also the only Filipino mayor representative in the group.
In a post on social media platform X, Binay noted that her role in the group highlights the Philippines’ commitment to advancing global sustainable development agendas.
“I am deeply honored to accept this crucial role and its responsibilities. I pledge to be the voice of cities throughout Southeast Asia, ensuring that our unique and shared challenges and aspirations echo in the corridors of global decision-making, driving meaningful change for a sustainable future for all,” she said.
She said that the Makati city government understands that the majority of SDG targets cannot be met without the active participation of local and regional governments. “We are not just contributors; we are catalysts,” she added.
The advisory group is scheduled to meet with the UN Secretary-General António Guterres three more times to explore ways to enhance local government engagement.
Their first virtual meeting took place on October 9.
Another key responsibility of the advisory group is to contribute to the upcoming 2024 Summit of the Future through several deliverables.
Among these are creating a “guidance note related to enhancing institutional mechanisms to strengthen the engagement of local and regional governments in intergovernmental processes; a policy brief with strategic guidance and policy advocacy, to strengthen cooperation between national and local and regional governments, and UN Country Teams; and a set of recommendations to the Secretary-General, to inform the deliberations of Member States in the lead up to the Summit of the Future.”
Additionally, the group members are also expected to give recommendations on how to develop a renewed structural engagement of the local and regional government constituencies with the UN.
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