Covenant of Mayors present at the Habitat International Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean
August 30, 2023. Guadalajara, Mexico. “Collaborating as an alliance to address the climate challenges faced primarily by small and medium-sized cities in the region” was one of the main messages conveyed by the European Union through various presentations given by representatives of its project, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in the Americas.
“In Latin America alone, the Covenant s more than 650 cities. We promote local climate diplomacy, urging local authorities to become global leaders. We coordinate efforts with various organizations and governments and seek access to climate review and monitoring mechanisms. Our interest is to enhance coordination among cities, countries, and regions; that’s why we are present at CIHALC today,” stated Viviana Carpio, Vice-Mayor of Oreamuno (Costa Rica).
In this second International Summit on Habitat in Latin America and the Caribbean (CIHALC), held from August 28 to 30 in Guadalajara, Mexico, most presentations focused on tracking the objectives and goals of the Global Agendas, under the theme “New Shared Agendas,” centered on the New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Moreover, the collaboration between IURC Latin America and GCOM Americas was a highlighted aspect during this Summit. Both initiatives, funded by the European Union, organized a on August 29 on how to accelerate climate actions in cities with the of the European Union. The featured high officials such as the Mayor of Tópaga (Colombia), Mr. Álvaro Henry Barrera Díaz; Vice-Mayor of Oreamuno (Costa Rica), Mrs. Viviana Carpio; Mayor of Palora (Ecuador), Mr. Estalin Tzamarenda; as well as Mr. Daniel Reyes, Head of Urban Planning in Puerto Montt (Chile). Thanks to this t collaboration between the two EU initiatives, 23 delegates from Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Greece, Italy, and Costa Rica were present.
In parallel with the event’s schedule, two financing access workshops were held, led by the Global Covenant of Mayors in conjunction with the Mexican Association of Municipal Planning Institutes (AMIMP) and the Gap Fund. In each meeting, knowledge was exchanged, and spaces were provided to share ideas and experiences with other leaders committed to sustainable habitats.
According to Álvaro Henry Barrera Díaz, Mayor of Tópaga – Colombia, the main objectives of the workshops were to provide local and municipal authorities with greater tools to interact effectively with the Gap Fund, including understanding eligibility criteria and the Expression of Interest submission process.
“We seek to foster collaboration and exchange between cities and networks, promote the integration of low-carbon and climate-resilient development strategies in the planning and implementation of urban projects. And all of this is possible thanks to the committed we have from the Mexican Association of Municipal Planning Institutes (AMIMP), which is currently the National Coordinator and President of the National Advisory Committee,” concluded Barrera.
Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy
The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy is the world’s largest alliance of cities and municipalities leading the fight against climate change, with the of municipal networks and other key actors in subnational climate action. It involves over 12,700 committed cities in more than 140 countries worldwide, representing over 11% of the global population.
In Latin America, the Covenant is funded by the European Union’s Partnership Instrument and involves more than 650 cities in 17 countries in the region.
See the IURC program note: https://acortar.link/ygGDKe
For more information:
Technical aspects
Eugenia García, technical advisor: [email protected]
Belén Jiménez, technical advisor: [email protected]
Press
Alexandra Cortés, communication advisor: [email protected]
