INVITATION 27.04.2012

To the Members of the UCLG World Council
To the Secretaries General
To the Vice-Presidents of United Cities and Local Governments
To the Chairs of UCLG Committees and Working Groups
 C.C: To the Presidency

Barcelona, 10 October 2011
CIRCULAR 20/2011
INVITATION and PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS
EXECUTIVE BUREAU
World Council
9-11 December, Florence, Italy

 Dear Members,

 On behalf of the Presidency, I am pleased to invite you to the UCLG World Council of United Cities and Local Governments. These meetings will be held from 9 to 11 December in Florence, at the kind invitation of Mr. Matteo Renzi, Mayor of Florence.

 Please click on the links below to access the following documents:

 ·         Draft program overview: Please note that preparatory meetings and UCLG Committees meetings will begin on Friday 9 December. As you will see, we have tried to reserve a full day for debate around two key topics of our agenda: The international debate on sustainability in view of Rio+20 and the strategic priorities of UCLG. Should you have inputs for any of these debates, we would welcome you to let us know.

 ·         Registration form: To be completed and returned as soon as possible to the UCLG World Secretariat. 

 ·         Hotels: The Municipality of Florence has negotiated rates at a number of hotels. We encourage you to make use of these facilities and make reservations as soon as possible as the dates fall into high tourist season. The hotel booking form should be sent directly to the agency in Florence before 25 October if you wish to be able to enjoy the special rates. However, we draw your attention that beyond this date, the proposed rates or rooms will not be guaranteed by our hosts. 

 The Grand Hotel Baglioni will be the main hotel. Nevertheless, all other recommended hotels are at 5 minutes walking distance.

 Please note that a  Schengen visa might be required in order to enter Italy. Click here to access the list of nationalities requiring visa provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy. Please approach the World Secretariat to receive a personalized invitation, should you require one to facilitate the application process.

 Draft agendas will be sent shortly. You can expect background documents by the end of November.

 The World Secretariat remains at your disposal for any additional information you might require.

 We look forward to seeing you in Florence.

 Yours faithfully,

 Josep Roig
Secretary General