Mayor Lowe Calls for Stronger Role of Local Governments at World Urban Forum 13
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By CTV Africa
Mayor of Banjul, Rohey Malick Lowe, delivered the official closing statement on behalf of Local and Regional Governments at the closing session of World Urban Forum 13 in Baku, urging global leaders to confront inequality, weak decentralization systems and the growing financialization of housing and land.
Addressing world leaders, policymakers and delegates gathered at the global urban development forum, Lowe stressed that achieving Sustainable Development Goal 11 and implementing the New Urban Agenda would remain difficult unless governments tackle structural barriers affecting cities and communities worldwide.
“SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda will not move forward unless we confront the real barriers that block progress, inequality, broken institutions with decentralization and the financialization of housing and land,” she said.
The Gambian mayor emphasized that local and regional governments should not be viewed merely as implementers of international policies, but as political actors and a legitimate sphere of government that must play a greater role in shaping global decisions.
“Local and regional governments are not just implementers, we are political actors. We are a sphere of government and we must help shape the global commitments that our communities are then asked to deliver,” Lowe stated.
She welcomed ongoing consultations led by Poland and Malawi on the political declaration for the New Urban Agenda, as well as discussions surrounding the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the High-Level Political Forum.
Lowe further reaffirmed the commitment of local and regional governments to contribute constructively to global governance and urban development processes.
“This is not only about policy, this is about trust, about democracy and about the very future of multilateralism itself,” she told delegates.
She concluded by thanking participants on behalf of local and regional governments across the world and wished delegates a safe journey home, ending her remarks with a rallying call for local and regional governance cooperation.
The World Urban Forum 13 brought together leaders, urban planners, civil society actors and development partners from around the world to discuss sustainable urbanization and the future of cities.
