World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments: Local Leadership Shaping a Renewed Multilateralism

The WALRG at the Thirteenth Session of the WUF will convene mayors, governors, regional leaders, and global partners in a high-level political gathering to reaffirm the collective voice of local and regional governments as key actors in shaping the future of multilateralism and sustainable urban development. The Assembly will also contribute to ongoing global processes on climate, finance for development and localization, including preparations towards HLPF and beyond. 
Structured as a dynamic and participatory plenary, the Assembly will feature three high-level dialogues that connect global policy frameworks with local action. Each dialogue will bring together local leaders, ministers, UN agencies, and civil society to address critical dimensions of local governance: (1) Housing the world through a new generation of universal local public services (2) Renewing multilateralism from the ground up to deliver the Pact for the Future; and (3) Recentering the New Urban Agenda through rights, care, and community-led urban transformation.  
As the level of government closest to communities, local and regional governments are indispensable to steering the next decade of New Urban Agenda implementation, translating its global commitments into place‑based transformations that directly shape people’s daily lives. 
Participants will hear directly from pioneering local leaders who are advancing transformative practices while exploring how these can inform systemic reforms and investment models at global scale. The Assembly will be a groundbreaking moment of political convergence, reaffirming local democracy, intergovernmental solidarity, and multilevel collaboration as cornerstones for a renewed social contract that works for people and the planet. 

Guiding questions

1. How can local and regional governments (LRGs) strengthen their collective voice to shape a renewed multilateralism and accelerate implementation of the New Urban Agenda and SDGs beyond 2030?
2. What multilevel governance reforms and partnerships are needed to better connect global commitments (e.g. Pact for the Future, SDG11) with local, place-based action?
3. How can innovative approaches to financing, local public services, and community-led solutions be scaled to drive adequate housing for all and inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban transformation?

Expected outcomes

1. A joint political declaration reaffirming LRGs’ commitment to advancing the NUA and SDGs through multilevel, multi-stakeholder action. 
2. Consolidated policy messages on the critical role of LRGs in advancing adequate housing and informing the WUF13 Call to Action and SDG11 review. 
3. Strengthened recognition of LRGs as key actors in global governance. 
4. A shared roadmap to localize finance, partnerships, and data for housing and resilience.