Ilsur Metshin participated in the World Council of UCLG and the climate summit in Paris

(Kazan City, KZN.RU, December 5). Mayor Ilsur Metshin took part in the Climate Summit for local leaders, which took place in Paris. Political leaders and the mayors of cities of the world level participated in the Summit, the mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Madrid Manuela Carmena, Mayor of Paris Anne Idalgo, Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore, Mayor of Stockholm Karin Vanngord, the Mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and others were among them.

Opening of the summit was led by French President Francois Hollande. It is worth noting that the summit is organized by the Special Envoy of the UN General Secretary on cities and climate change, the former head of New York Michael Bloomberg, in collaboration with leading international associations of local and regional authorities, fighting against climate change.

This is an important event dedicated to the UN Conference on Climate Change in order to recognize and spread productive mayors’ initiatives on sustainable development at the international level.

Ilsur Metshin also took part in the World Council of the organization "United Cities and Local Governments", co-president of which he is. Recall that the World Organization represents more than 1000 cities and associations of the world and is the most powerful and influential structure in the area of ​​cooperation of local governments. The main topics of discussion were the problems local governments faced in recent years, such as humanitarian crises, in particular, aggravated problem of refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as sustainable development issues.

Speaking at the World Council, Ilsur Metshin urged to intensify efforts in helping cities, faced with a large influx of displaced people. Mayor of Kazan stressed the important role of local authorities in addressing humanitarian crises and the need to involve business and various civic associations in the decision of city problems. During his speech, it was noted that Kazan for three years has managed to climb the 37 steps up to the environmental rating of Russia, becoming one of the most prosperous and livable cities in the country. Not the budgetary injections, but involving business problems and various civic associations to the decision made it possible.

Insisting on the need to share best practices, Ilsur Metshin called the cities to put political differences aside and unite in order to ensure balanced development for the benefit of society. "The aggravation of relations between countries should not destroy years of arrayed connection of cities. I see the local authorities at the forefront of the defense of the rights of the population to an adequate standards of living and opposition to global challenges. We are in the forefront of the solutions to achieve new goals set by the UN. Responsibility is colossal, and we must begin now, without waiting until the waves crisis will subside, and work actively promoting the entering of the world to the path of sustainable development. Local authorities know major pain points in their cities like no other, "- said I. Metshin. "There is no mayor, who manages with all equally well. Therefore, there is always something to learn from each other, from the one who is more advanced in a certain direction, "- said the Mayor of Kazan.

Today Ilsur Metshin will head the Executive Bureau of UCLG, in which important organizational and political decisions will be made to improve its effectiveness of the organization in promoting the role of local government in the international community. Also tomorrow the Mayor of Kazan is invited to visit the UN Conference on climate change as part of an international delegation of local and regional authorities.