UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau Meeting (8 April 2010) 27.04.2012

UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau meeting was held in Istanbul, Turkey on 8 April 2010, upon the invitation of the UCLG-MEWA Secretariat General. The Executive Bureau meeting was chaired by Mr. Osman Baydemir, Mayor of Diyarbakır and UCLG-MEWA Co-President.

Following Mayor Baydemir’s opening remarks, Mr. Selahattin Yıldırım, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, spoke on the activities of the UCLG World Organization and the recent developments in the world of local government. Mr. Sadun Emrealp, UCLG-MEWA Deputy Secretary General, briefly presented the 2009 Report of Activities, 2010 Program of Activities and the 2010 Budget which were previously submitted to the members of the Bureau. The Executive Bureau members then discussed and decided upon the matters in its agenda, including the revision and approval of the 2009 Report of Activities, 2010 Program of Activities and the 2010 Budget.

As part of the deliberations, Mr. Isam Akel, Executive Director of the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA), representing Mr. Mageed Abou Ramadan, Mayor of Gaza City and President of APLA, presented a comprehensive overview of the current situation in the Occupied Territories. His contribution focused on the difficulties faced by Palestinian local authorities in preserving the local cultural heritage in the face of severe aggression. The expansion of illegal settlements, forceful eviction of legally-held land and property, and structural obstacles placed in realizing “the right to the city” in general, were specifically brought to the fore. The members of the Executive Bureau expressed their full support and solidarity for their Palestinian colleagues and pledged to redouble efforts to mobilize international, national and local opinion in favour of besieged Palestinian local authorities.