UCLG·CGLU · www.uclg.org
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“to foster international cooperation and to strengthen the bonds of solidarity... as well as exchange between the political authorities, administrations and public and private agencies of major metropolises...”. Metropolis was devised in response to the main issues of rapid metropolitanization of the world. As its second president J.Clos, then mayor of Barcelona, underlined in 2005: “...The flourishing of the world’s metropolises is central to issues of global urbanisation, this being particularly noticeable in developing countries... Local authorities are becoming increasingly recognized by the leading international organisations... We must continue to encourage the development of a legal framework guaranteeing, at the international level, local democracy and ... the autonomy of local governments...” Metropolis brings together the main metropolitan authorities of the world and serves them in both political terms through representation and technical terms (knowledge and information exchange...). Metropolis was an active participant during the unification process of IULA, FMCU and itself, and is now in charge of the metropolitan section of the new organisation, the World Organisation of Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). The formation of metropolitan areas or regions (“city regions”) has been the defining feature of rapidly increasing urbanization in recent times.The size that they have reached today is unprecedented in the history of humankind. This has necessitated unique treatment, as metropolis has endeavared to show us all.
The world of the 1980s... “There is enough for everybody’s need, but not enough for everybody’s greed.” GANDHI
With the beginning of the 1980s, the world came under a new assault: Neoliberalism. This “phenomenon” can be defined as a sort of “grand slam” on the many fronts of the public, municipal and individuals life. The logic of neoliberal politics (or policies), with its dense hierarchies, absolute domination of the markets, severe privatizations and deregulations and inherent injustices, negatively impacted localities, cities, city-regions and countries all over the world. The privatization of public space and financialization of everyday life diminishes the capacity of public bodies such as local, regional and national governments. To reverse this logic requires a new democratic and just remake from the bottom up, both in national and international contexts. This is where municipal or local governments and their international movement can, and should, play a crucial role by amplifying unheard voices at a global level.
1913 2013