Trust and Leadership in the DNA of the movement

💬 Interpretation : English - French - Spanish - Turkish

In a context of growing democratic erosion, social fragmentation, and global uncertainty, trust has become a foundational value for local governments and a defining challenge for political leadership. This session will explore how the municipal movement can renew trust through leadership models grounded in participatory democracy, inclusive governance, and a strong human rights–based approach to local public action. By examining emerging trends in local democracy and drawing on 25 years of innovation and collective learning within the International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (OIDP), the session will connect past achievements with future pathways, echoing the reflections of the OIDP’s 25th anniversary. Framed as a strategic contribution towards the 2026 UCLG Congress, the discussion will highlight how trust, democracy, and human rights are mutually reinforcing pillars of the next phase of the municipal movement, and how local leaders can translate these values into renewed legitimacy, shared leadership, and transformative action across territories.

Speakers:

• Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener, Co-President of UCLG

• Maria Eugènia Gay, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona

• Anders Henriksson President of SALAR

• Mateusz Płoskonka, City of Kraków

• Jan Van Zanen, Mayor of the Hague, Member of UCLG Executive Presidency

• Rodrigo Neves, Mayor of Niteroi, President of Mercociudades

• Joseph Foti, Principal Advisor, Emerging Issues, Open Government Partnership

• Eckart Würzner, Mayor of Heidelberg and Chair of the UN Forum of Mayors

• Paola Pabón, Prefect of Pichincha, UCLG Vice-President for the Forum of Regions

• Fatimetou Abdel Malick, President of the Nouakchott Region, UCLG Co-President