Tangier
2026
The congress
The first half of 2026 will be a strategic cycle of convergence, where our movement collectively articulates its positioning, redefines the architecture of public service delivery, and prepares to speak with one voice in the post-2030 negotiation process.
Aligning with key intergovernmental moments — the World Urban Forum, the UCLG Congress and World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders, and the 2026 High-Level Political Forum and the review of SDG 11 — a structured process of 100 Days of Local Multilateralism will begin on April 21 — World Creativity and Innovation Day, and conclude on July 30, 2026, converging into a single collective agenda that channels the political will and diverse vision of our communities.
The UCLG 2026 Congress will be a policy decision making space and the democratic definition of the voice of municipalism inserted in a roadmap that connects presence to purpose, and participation to leadership.
The Town Hall process, integrating our partners and giving voice to civil society, is the instrument that guarantees inclusive and transformative policy development through the consultation circle around the Local Social Covenant.
The outcomes of this process will be articulated through Letters from the Local Social Covenant —a series of political correspondences between elected leaders and organized civil society.
The consultations of the Local Social Covenant will address a series of central themes shaping the responsibilities of local governments in the coming decade: Housing, Transformative Local Finance, Public Health, Food Systems, Local Conflict Prevention, Climate Justice, Culture, and New Essentials.
Each theme will be approached through the transversal anchors of Care, Anti-Racism, and Youth. Care will guide the vision of public policy and service as a feminist principle for governance; anti-racism will serve as a political and ethical imperative for transformation; and the organized presence of youth will ensure that institutions are co-created for present and future generations.
Building on the experience of past Congresses (in particular Durban 2019 and Daejeon 2022), the UCLG 2026 Congress will be developed around four tracks, each designed to enhance the power of our movement:
The Statutory Track represents the institutional heart of the Congress – the space where the democratic pulse of the World Organization is most strongly felt. Open to UCLG members, it brings together UCLG’s Governing Bodies, to define our collective policies, shape our work plan, and lead the renewal of our political leadership.
The Track includes the meetings of UCLG’s institutional committees – the Financial Management Committee and the Committee on Statutory Affairs. In line with the statutory logic, the last session of the Executive Bureau for the current mandate will take place, followed by the General Assembly that gathers all members of UCLG.
Throughout the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders, the Assembly Track will be the space where UCLG Sections will present position papers outlining their political priorities. These will be aligned with the overall work of the World Organization, to ensure that the policy-making process remains truly bottom-up, for the people and by the people.
It is in this Track that the diversity and strength of the UCLG membership come to life.
The Town Hall will embody UCLG’s #CitiesAreListening experience. The internationally organized civil society and the local and regional governments’ constituency will meet, dialogue, and co-create to address shared challenges and opportunities. The Town Hall will strengthen the policy processes of UCLG, informed by the realities and aspirations of people on the ground.
The Town Hall will also be embedded into the high-level political debates,
to ensure the strategic nature of their dialogue with the leadership of the World Organization.
The Local4Action Track will bring together members, partners, global institutions, and local actors, to inspire and be inspired by one another’s’ experiences. Organized around the pillars of the Pact for the Future, it will include sessions coordinated by the corresponding members and partners.
As part of this Track, there will be other key spaces such as the Networking Hub – a window into the World Organization – along with the Learning Forum and the Research Forum.
The Tangier – Morocco Track represents the contribution that the city of Tangier and the Kingdom of Morocco wish to bring to the scientific programme of the Congress. It will consist of sessions held at the Palais des Arts, as well as participatory processes taking place in the village of Parc Villa Harris.