Dakar.-Mayors and Local Authorities from across the world came together in the United Council of Local Governments World Council 2012 held in Dakar (Senegal) on 6 December to discuss the post-2015 agenda and identify mechanisms to ensure the voice and concerns of Local Authorities are at the centre of the post-2015 debate.

The Deputy Director of the UN Millennium Campaign, Mr. Sering Falu, delivered a keynote speech at the opening session of the World Council which served to set the stage for the debate. “Local Authorities are responsible for the delivery of social services at the local level and therefore transform global development agendas into local realities” explained Mr. Falu, and added, “their voices are thus critical in the definition of the post-2015 agenda”.

Before his intervention, Mr. Falu met bilaterally with Mr. Kadir Topbas, the Mayor of Istanbul, who holds the Presidency of UCLG and is a member of the High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Agenda.

Mr. Falu offered the support of the UN Millennium Campaign to United Council of Local Governments in their efforts to engage in the post-2015 debate, and pointed to the need for Local Authorities to reach out to citizens to facilitate their participation in this process.

Mr. Topbas on its part welcomed the support of the Campaign and recognised the need to foster broader engagement from all stakeholders. “Local Authorities”, he explained, “need to work hand in hand with civil society and the UN system to ensure an open and participatory process to define the post-2015 agenda.”