Circular
20/2019
Barcelona, 1 August 2019
 
To the members of the World Council
To the Secretaries General
To the Vice-Presidents of United Cities and Local Governments
To the Chairs of UCLG Committees, Working Groups, Communities of Practice and Fora

For information: To the Presidency

UCLG World Congress: Registration is Open
11-15 November 2019, Durban 
 

Dear members,
 
We are pleased to announce that online registration is now open for the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders – 6th UCLG Congress, which will be held from 11^th to 15^th November in Durban, South Africa.
 
Members planning to participate to the Statutory Sessions will need to register for the Summit.
 
 
About the Summit
 
Held every three years, the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders has acquired, during the course of previous editions, a strong and important role within the international community. This year’s edition will count on a renewed format and enhanced collaboration between members and partners.
 
Building on the century-old international movement of municipalities, the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders will include interactive and innovative formats built on four tracks that will guide participants through their World Summit experience, together with dedicated sessions for UCLG membership, namely:

• The Assembly Track, with local and regional government representatives as key drivers, aims at allowing continental, sectoral and thematic priorities to contribute to the global policies of the World Organization. UCLG sections, as well as sister organizations, are invited to develop position papers to be presented during the Assembly sittings. These sittings will be developed in high level round tables, organized continentally or by sector, based on the position papers elaborated in the run up to the Congress. The contents will be submitted to the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments.
   
• The Town Hall Track, with civil society partners as key drivers, will be the space for dialogue and interaction between different internationally organized communities, civil society and the political leadership of the local and regional governments constituency, in order to define our global policies in an open format. These debates will take place throughout various sessions in an interactive discussion among several stakeholders, including local government representatives. The result of the deliberations will be presented to the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments.
   
• The Local4Action Track will be the space providing innovative formats for all the spheres of the network, allowing partners to participate in a cooperative process to share, listen and review. Different formats of sessions have been developed to accommodate all the experiences and ideas within the framework of our main policy areas.
   
• The Statutory Track, which is reserved for UCLG members only, comprises the meetings of the governing bodies that shape the policies and work plan of the World Organization. This includes the Financial Management Committee, the Committee on Statutory Affairs, the Executive Bureau, the General Assembly (not to be confused with the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments) and the World Council.

Member of the Governing Bodies may play special roles in the different sessions and are encouraged to express interest to speak on specific topics and actively engage in the policy making spaces, such as the Assembly and Town Hall tracks. 
 
Should you be interested in showcasing experiences from your city, region or association, do not hesitate to contact the coordination team at the World Secretariat.
 
Please consult the provisional programme of the event, as well as a general information note. We are also pleased to share with you a first version of the detailed programme (please note, however, that it is still a provisional version and that more detailed information will be provided in due time).
 
 
Registration and accommodation 
 
The registration form can be easily accessed via the Congress website. 
 
As you can imagine the World Congress is a big event where over 3,500 participants are expected. It will be served with social events and interpretation in the working languages of the Organization.
 
The costs of these events are covered by the hosts, the City of Durban, the South African Association of Local Authorities SALGA and special sponsors. We need however your support to contribute to its organization and success through the payment of a registration fee.
 
Early Bird registration discounts are valid if you register before 23^rd September.
 
Should you need additional support, we inform you that there are limited funds available, especially for fee-waives that will be granted in priority to local and regional elected officials from Least Developed Countries (LDCs). All formal requests should be sent directly to: sponsorship.durban2019@uclg.org
 
Please click on the following links to access:

• Registration page
• List of hotels selected by our hosts
• Information on the meeting venue (ICC)

 
 
Visas
 
Please note that you may need a visa to be able to enter South Africa and that this process can be lengthy. We strongly recommend you to start the visa procedures as soon as possible.
 
Please click on the following link for more information on visa procedures for South Africa and to request a personalized invitation letter.
 
Should you have any further inquiries, you can write to Uclg2019InvitationLetter@salga.org.za, copying UCLGExBu@uclg.org.
 
 
The team at the World Secretariat remains at your disposal for any additional information you might need:

• On the World Congress and Summit (programme, speakers, etc.): durban2019@uclg.org.
• On the Statutory Track of the Congress: UCLGExBu@uclg.org.

 
Sincerely,

The UCLG World Secretariat