Speech by Jan van Zanen following the hand over of the UCLG presidency, 10 October 2024

 

Members of UCLG,

Colleagues,

Thank you for the faith you have placed in me.

I would like to take  a moment to thank my predecessor, Mayor Altay, for leading the World Organization since the World Council in Konya.

The year 2024, with the Summit of the Future behind us, has been a critical year for the transformation of our societies.

The work that we have before us in 2025 needs to build on the successes of your Presidency.

Thank you, dear Ugur, for all your hard work this past period. We continue to count on you in our organization.

I have felt closely connected with the UCLG since 2016 .

That connection stems from my firm belief in the local cause.

A belief that has its roots in my early youth.

My uncle Henk, one of my great role models, was a Council Alderman in the 1960s and 70s in the town where I grew up.

He held that office on behalf of a local political party, of course.

It is that devotion to local causes that underpins my belief that cities and local communities are the first tiers of government.

The one closest to the people.

That gets work done for residents in practical ways.

Because when it comes down to it, there is no such thing as a left-wing lamp post or a right-wing park…

That pragmatic vision of local government is, one of my guiding principles.

As UCLG president, as mayor and as a human being.

The theme of this World Council – which is close to the heart of the City of The Hague – is: A New Peace Agenda for Future Generations.

One of the cornerstones on which the UCLG rests is the belief that local solutions to conflicts are essential for a peaceful society.

Something I also fully subscribe to.

Yet, I must confess, at one point I had my doubts.

That was on 24 February 2022, the day on which a war on this continent broke out.

On that same day, I had just landed at Barcelona airport for a UCLG meeting.

“Why do I keep doing this international work, why am I still putting energy into it, next to my local work?”, I asked myself.

Many of you will recognise that despair, prompted by the shock of the moment.

But that doubt soon gave way to resolve.

In times of armed conflict, and all continents have experience with that, it is more vital than ever to keep making connections.

And to roll up our sleeves as local authorities, regardless of party politics.

It is  what I must continue with, that is my inspiration, I realised.

This was precisely the approach at last Tuesday’s Municipal Peace Talks.

We are looking forward to the World Forum of Cities and Territories of Peace in Montevideo next year.

I will do my best to ensure that our peace agenda is in line with the work of international organisations, including those in The Hague.

I will also continue to stress how important it is that as many different voices as possible are heard in peace processes.

Especially those of marginalised groups, women and young people.

Besides peace, sustainability is another priority for the coming period.

While we are working on the Sustainable Development Goals and the Pact for the Future, UCLG will be looking beyond 2030.

It is not just environmental sustainability that we are concerned with, but social and economic inclusion, as well.

Local governments have a key role to play in that.

Not least because social and economic inclusion can help remove the root causes of conflict.

Such as inequality, injustice and a lack of opportunities.

We therefore join hands to share knowledge and experience in areas such as the ecological transformation, food security, local economic development and digital transformation.

If we want to succeed in this and play a significant role, then a third priority will be vitally important: strengthening our position.

Representing, as we do, 70 percent of the world’s population, we need to be a part of the global decision-making processes. We need to be seen as political and deciding actors, and not just implementers.

Because only then can we be sure that global agendas can be achieved at local level.

That will only happen, however, with a strong and united organisation.

As I look into the auditorium, I see all the continents gathered here by the North Sea.

That diversity is our strength.

My goal is to increase our effectiveness by drawing on that diversity.

And thus strengthen our global influence.

To do that I will be visiting various UCLG sections and regions.

And putting all my best efforts into making connections and strengthening contacts.

Together we can make the UCLG even stronger.

What I promise you is that in everything I do, I will act from the perspective of democracy, human rights and gender equality, as set out in the Pact for the Future of Humanity, the roadmap we adopted in 2022.

However, strengthening our organisation and our influence is not a goal in itself.

In the end it’s all about the more than five billion people we represent.

Five billion people who have put their faith in us, as public officials serving the local cause.

Five billion women, men and children who may, nay, should be able to live their lives in peace and freedom.

Free from fear and want.

That is our mission.

Let’s not forget that.

So: let’s get to work.

You can count on me.

Thank you.