Just about a year ago, UCLG, Metropolis and UN-Habitat, in collaboration with the FMDV and UNCDF, convened a Live Learning Experience session to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on local and regional finances, and the challenges ahead to respond to the emergency and prepare the recovery. Participants called for a continued and enhanced policy dialogue between local decision-makers, national governments and international financial partners to support local and regional action in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Following up on this meeting, UCLG in collaboration with the FMDV and UNCDF, are pleased to invite you to a Session on “The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on local finances one year after its outbreak, and the role of local and regional governments in the recovery strategies and plans”. The session will take place on Monday 14 June 2021, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm CEST.

The session will provide a space for local and regional governments and their associations to share their positions and recommendations on their role in the definition and implementation of the recovery plans and stimulus packages that are being set up to overcome the effects of the pandemic. It is designed as a first step in preparation for a meeting of the Malaga Global Coalition for Municipal Finance, to be held in early 2022.

Objectives of the meeting
The objectives of the meeting are the following:

• Take stock of the financial situation of local and regional governments, the impact of the pandemic on the local fiscal space and the solutions put in place, one year after its outbreak;
• Highlight the positions, engagements and targeted priorities of local and regional governments in order to be fully part of the recovery strategies and plans discussed at global, regional and national levels;
• Assess the supporting role of networks and platforms and identify the action levers available to local and regional governments to be proactively involved in the recovery efforts, through the establishment of new partnerships and by promoting their priorities in national and international negotiation processes.

Event Details

• Title: “Towards the 2022 Meeting of the Malaga Global Coalition for Municipal Finance”
• Location: Webinar Registration - Zoom
• Date: June 10th, 2021
• Time: 3:00 to 5:00 pm CEST
• Format: Virtual (English)

Agenda
Welcome and opening remarks – 10 min

• Emilia Saiz, Secretary General of UCLG
• Preeti Sinha, Executive Secretary of UNCDF

First roundtable- One year into the outbreak: What are the financial challenges and priorities for local and regional authorities that need to be factored into national and global recovery packages? – 40 min

Moderator: Emilie Maehara, Deputy Executive Director of FMDV

• Paul Simondon, Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of finances
• Anuela Ristani, Deputy Mayor of Tirana
• Yvonne Aki-Saywerr, Mayor of Freetown
• Aníbal Gaviria, President of Cities Alliance

Q&A – 10 min
Second roundtable- Insights from local government associations and networks: how best to engage with other tiers of government and development partners for LRGs to be considered as key implementors but also decision makers and partners of an inclusive recovery? – 40 min
Moderator: Mathilde Penard, Local Finance Officer, UCLG

• Xolile George, CEO of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA)
• Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities (NLC)
• Frédéric Vallier, Secretary General of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR)

Q&A – 10 min
Wrap up and next steps – 10 min

• Jean-François Habeau, Executive Director of FMDV
• Emilia Saiz, Secretary General of UCLG

About the Malaga Global Coalition for Municipal Finance:
The Malaga Global Coalition for Municipal Finance was created in 2018 with the ambition of developing common positions and strategies to reshape a new global financial ecosystem that enable cities and regions to accelerate the implementation on the global agendas. It provides a unique space for dialogue between the main stakeholders engaged on municipal finance: local and regional government officials, central government representatives, UN agencies, Development Finance Institutions, national and subnational development banks, public and private banks, credit rating agencies, and universities. It has been convened twice by United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) in collaboration with the Global Fund for Cities Development (FMDV), the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), and the city of Malaga. One of its main outcomes include the setting up of the International Municipal Investment Fund to facilitate local and regional governments’ access to external financing for local transformative projects.