The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), in partnership with the World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty (WACAP) and the Malaga City Council organized a global conference on migration and municipal finance in Malaga, Spain on the 10^th of April 2018.

The event brought together a large number of experts to explore possible strategies to address the problems arising from migration and build inclusive and resilient cities. The conference will support the development of a network of cities to exchange experiences on the migrant populations and better understand their everyday realities.

The attendees include experts, including Ministers, Mayors and authorities from around the world, representatives of government organizations, development banks and other partners to share knowledge, exchange ideas and strategies exploration possible to address issues of migration and municipal finance.

The Mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, said: “Our city has been showing, for years, a firm commitment to fight against poverty in the world. We are members of WACAP since 2009, because we are convinced that local governments, which are closer to the citizens can play a role in a world where poverty still kills thousands of people, endangers the natural resources essential for life and compromises the future of the children of the planet.”

Migration is a global phenomenon and today’s world is witnessing an unprecedented level of human mobility. Migration offers both opportunities and challenges for both migrants and host communities. Local governments play a significant role in addressing the root causes of migration and cities are playing an increasing role in hosting migrants. In the most recent report of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Migration, it is recommended that cities and local governments be given agency and resources to manage migration and greater diversity.

The Director of Local Development Finance at UNCDF, Mr. David Jackson, said: “The WACAP conference and meeting has created a purposeful coalition of committed actors that will advocate for a financial ecosystem favorable to municipal finance nourished by practical examples of what can be done and how.”

The Summit on migration and municipal finance aimed to provide a platform for mayors and practitioners to share experiences and innovative solutions. Outcomes of the Summit included:

-The development a network of cities (from the North and from the South) to exchange experiences on the migrant populations and better understand their reality. One of the main objectives of this network is to develop an outreach strategy and prevent radicalization.

-The development of a programme to pilot and experiment innovative solutions to identify and support strategic infrastructures that can facilitate the access to health, education and housing for migrants.

-The development of a programme to develop cooperation between the diaspora and development and commercial banks to support investment of remittances in local development.

-The development of a programme to document and extend the existing initiatives on local economic development and access to finance.

About WACAP

The World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty (WACAP) was created to support cooperation among cities and develop a framework for long-term cooperation between urban leaders and make cities more resilient and sustainable. In the last decade, WACAP has played an important part in supporting exchanges and initiatives connecting more than 900 municipalities in the network.