UCLG-MEWA held the first coordination meeting of 2023. After the general evaluation of 2022, innovations and activities that shed light on the new year's strategy were discussed.

The Workshop on Social Cohesion and Municipalities; Opportunities and Future Outlook was held on 21-22 December 2022 in Ankara. The event was organized by the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (TBB), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Ministry of Interior, and the Directorate General of Migration Management of Türkiye.

The Global Task Force on Migration (GTFM), secretariat of the UCLG-MEWA Committee for Social Inclusion, organized the program Local Governments and the Prolonging Refugee Crisis: Sharing Key Lessons and Recommendations, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The program took place on 12 December 2022 with more than 350 participants from different parts of the world.

We are about to see off another year that showed us significant accomplishments, which was possible through our collective efforts as UCLG-MEWA. We are hopeful for another great year to overcome the shortcomings and achieve a lot of success together as the community of local governments and its advocates. On this occasion, let's pledge to continue our activities to strengthen local democracy, make this planet a better place to live, and leave a strong legacy and roadmap for future generations.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Kale Group and UCLG-MEWA to ensure cooperation in projects and activities to be carried out in the field of sustainability. The signing ceremony was held on 4 November 2022 at the UCLG-MEWA General Secretariat with the participation of the delegation headed Zeynep Bodur Okyay, Kale Group Chairperson of the Board of Directors and CEO.

UCLG-MEWA held its statutory meetings between 22-25 November in collaboration with Gebze Municipality. The program included UCLG-MEWA Presidency Meeting, UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau Meeting, and Presidency Meeting of UCLG-MEWA Committee on Environment besides thematic panel sessions on Sustainable Architecture: Smart Living Spaces and Role of Smart Cities in Combating Climate Change.

United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG-MEWA) strongly condemns the terrorist attack resulting in civilian casualties on November 13th in Istanbul, which also hosts the Organization's Secretariat. UCLG-MEWA stays firmly against any terroristic attempt that threatens or disrupts the region's peace, security, and stability. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wish for a speedy recovery for those injured. In this regard, we express our sincere gratitude to our well-wishers and friends in the local governments for their condolence messages.

Organized by UCLG-MEWA in cooperation with UCLG, UNDRR ROAS, and ATO, the “Disaster Risk Reduction and Urban Resilience Training for Arab Cities" brought together 60 representatives from 40 Arab cities in Dibba Al-Fujairah, United Arab Emirates on November 1-2.

UCLG-MEWA Committee on Culture and Tourism, held its first Presidency Meeting for the term 2022-2025 and the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop for Cities" on October 20-22 in Balıkesir Türkiye. Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality was elected as the President of UCLG-MEWA Committee on Culture and Tourism at the UCLG-MEWA Congress 2022 in Konya Türkiye.

The World Habitat Day 2022 was celebrated on 3 October, Monday in Balıkesir, Türkiye in collaboration between Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality and UN-HABITAT under the theme ‘Mind the Gap. Leave No One and No Place Behind.’

The 7th UCLG Congress was held on 10-14 October in Daejeon, South Korea. The opening ceremony of the UCLG Congress was held on 12 October and was participated by former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and the President of South Korea Yoon Suk-yeol, and also with significant participation by leadership of UCLG-MEWA and members from the MEWA region. Notably, Uğur Ibrahim Altay, Mayor of Konya (Türkiye) was elected as one of the Presidents of UCLG for 2022-2026 rotational term.

The Executive Bureau Meeting of the United Cities and Local Governments, Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG-MEWA) will be held on 23-24 November 2022, hosted by Gebze Municipality at Bilişim Vadisi (Technology Development Zone).

Türkiye Sustainable Urban Transport Network (SUTN) held an information day in the Marmara region in Kadıköy Istanbul on 20 September. The program consisted of two parts; the first part was filled with the presentations made by the project partners and then followed by a workshop in which targets and strategies for sustainable transportation action plans were determined under five headings, which are as: Holistic and Inclusive Planning, Behavior Change & Mobility Management, Public Participation, Integration, and Monitoring

Tayseer Abu Sneineh, UCLG-MEWA President and Mayor of Al-Khalil in Palestine, paid a visit to the UCLG-MEWA Secretariat General in Istanbul. The UCLG-MEWA Secretary General Mehmet Duman received the President in the presence of Yücel Yılmaz, Mayor of Balıkesir. A delegation from Deajeon, South Korea, Led by Lee Jang Woo, Mayor of Daejeon, also interacted with the President.

Held every three years, the UCLG World Summit and Congress build on the century-old origins of our Organization as a movement driven by peace, solidarity and city diplomacy, and the pledge of the local and regional governments’ constituency around the world to safeguard the dreams and aspirations of their communities.

The delegations from Sultanbeyli and Karatay Municipalities visited the Secretariat General of UCLG-MEWA on August 10, within the scope of the cooperation and partnerships.

UCLG-MEWA held various activities in Girne on 5 August 2022 under its Committee on Gender Equality. The opening ceremony started by the welcoming addresses of Mehmet Duman, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, Nidai Güngördü, Mayor of Girne, and Sibel Tatar, First Lady of TRNC.

Tehran Municipality’s initiative Asian Mayors Forum, cooperating with Allameh Tabataba’i University from Iran, will be organizing its first international Summer School on Urban Management.

The 2022 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) was held under the theme “Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

UCLG-MEWA organized meetings of the Advisory board of Tehran VLR and the Presidency meeting Committee on Smart Cities and Urban Mobility besides participating in the 1st Sister and Twin Cities Festival and Iran 3rd International Expo of Smart Cities in Tehran between 4-8 July. The activities were carried out in collaboration and participation of Tehran Municipality.