United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia Section
Budget
€794,282
EP Access
0
accredited persons
Staff
3
0.75 FTE
EU Grants
€34,251
Mission & Goals
As one of the seven sections of United Cities and Local Governments -the global network of cities and local, regional, and metropolitan governments and their associations- UCLG-MEWA operates in 15 countries from the Middle East and West Asia Region. With its large member network consisting of 216 municipalities and their associations from the region, UCLG-MEWA carries out its activities under the axes of Sustainable Development Goals, New Urban Agenda, International Municipalism and Resilient Cities. With an aim to bridge the gulf between the global and local, the organization plays a crucial role in the localization and dissemination of global agendas, and mobilizes its members in terms of their engagement in global initiatives.
EU Legislative Interests
UCLG-MEWA targets European Parliament's legislative efforts on the Global Gateway Initiative. [2025/2014(INI),, 2025/0262(COD)]
Communication Activities
As one of the members of the Policy Forum on Development (PFD) and its Task Team -an intiative by EC Department of International Partnerships- UCLG-MEWA has also been selected as one of the members of Global Gateway Dialogue Platform, which is to run under EU's Global Gateway Strategy. UCLG-MEWA participated in the 2025 Global Meeting of the Policy Forum on Development (PFD), held in Brussels from June 17 to 19, convening key stakeholders at a critical juncture for sustainable global cooperation. The gathering brought together civil society organizations (CSOs), local authorities, EU institutions, and member states to reaffirm shared commitments amid mounting challenges, from widening inequalities and climate setbacks to geopolitical tensions. Covering a range of thematic sessions, discussions placed strong emphasis on empowering local actors to lead development efforts, as well as on the EU’s upcoming Multi‑Annual Financial Framework, funding mechanisms, fragile states, and the preservation of core values such as human rights. During the closing sessions, breakout groups emphasized the enhanced role of CSOs and local authorities in translating Global Gateway and Team Europe strategies into effective action . In its dual role as a PFD member and Task Team member, UCLG‑MEWA actively engaged in the parallel networking and evaluation sessions, contributing to the formulation of key recommendations and underlining the value of bottom‑up approaches and inclusive, multi‑stakeholder partnerships. The meeting concluded on a note of strengthened solidarity, with pledges to intensify collaboration across sectors and levels of governance. Key takeaways included renewed calls to harness local leadership in addressing financing gaps, safeguarding democratic and civic spaces, and ensuring no one is left behind in the post‑2030 development agenda.
Interests Represented
Does not represent commercial interests
Member Of
https://uclg-mewa.org/en/engagements/collaborations/ In addition to the above-shared link, UCLG-MEWA has expanded its network by signing two new Memorandum of Understanding with the platforms listed below: 1)Urban Economy Forum (https://www.ueforum.org/) 2)MLGP4Climate under EU4ETTR (https://mlgp4climate.com/mlgp-members) 3) Arab Towns Organization ATO (http://www.arabtowns.org/Default.aspx) 4) Zero Waste Foundation ZWF (https://sifiratikvakfi.org/en)
Organisation Members
https://uclg-mewa.org/en/engagements/collaborations/ In addition to the above-shared link, the member list of the organization is as given through the link below: https://uclg-mewa.org/en/organization/membership/our-members/
Commissioner Meetings
No recorded meetings with EU commissioners.