Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic Elected Co-President of United Cities & Local Governments

Earlier today, at the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) 7^th World Congress in Daejeon, South Korea, City of Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic was elected Co-President in the 2022-2026 Presidency of the global association representing the world’s cities, regions and local government associations on the international stage.

“I am humbled to have been selected by my peers to serve as Co-President on the 2022-2026 Presidency of UCLG, the voice of local government leaders at the United Nations and other international fora,” said Mayor Vrbanovic. “It is indeed an honour for me to bring the voice of Canada’s cities and communities to the global stage, and to be able to regularly exchange ideas and learn from Mayors and cities around the world for the benefit of Kitchener and our overall region.”

Vrbanovic has represented Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities at UCLG in various leadership roles on the UCLG Presidency since 2013, and on committees since attending the 2^nd UCLG World Congress in Jeju, South Korea in 2006. In 2013, Mayor Vrbanovic was elected Deputy Treasurer of UCLG, and moved to the role of Treasurer in 2015, a role he has held until today. Earlier this year, due to a vacancy in the President role during this three year mandate, Vrbanovic served as Governing President of UCLG in June and July 2022, representing the organization at the World Urban Forum XI in Katowice, Poland in June and the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York, USA in July.

Over the past several days, Mayor Vrbanovic virtually joined Canada’s and FCM’s in-person delegation to the UCLG 7^th World Congress in Daejeon, South Korea. The delegation was led by FCM President Taneen Rudyk, Councillor from Vegreville, Alberta who also serves as the President of UCLG NORAM, the North American section of this global body. The delegation actively participated in a variety of sessions at the Congress, various bilateral meetings, the release of the 6^th GOLD report entitled “Towards the Localization of the SDG’s”, and the adoption of The Pact for the Future for People, Planet and Government – a pact which places people at the centre, deepening the needs of current generations and expanding the rights of future ones by guaranteeing access to public services and the commons. As municipal leaders acknowledge the impact of growing inequalities within and between cities, the Pact seeks to deliver fairness and intersectional justice for everyone and for every place.

“On behalf of FCM and the UCLG North America Section, I am very pleased to congratulate Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic on his appointment as Co-President to the UCLG Executive,” said Taneen Rudyk, President, FCM and President, UCLG North America Section (NORAM). President Rudyk added, “The UCLG remains an important forum for the gathering of global municipal leadership to speak with one voice, and unite in our shared mission. Mayor Vrbanovic’s leadership role on the UCLG ensures a continued and strong FCM voice on the global municipal stage.”

The international municipal movement was founded in 1913 in the Belgian town of Ghent. United Cities and Local Governments was founded in 2004, in Paris, France – bringing together the English and French local government associations from around the world into one single voice to represent and defend the interest of local and regional governments on the world stage.

For information on United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG): https://www.uclg.org/

For more information please contact:

Bethany Rowland, Director of Corporate Communications & Marketing
City of Kitchener
226-752-9038
bethany.rowland@kitchener.ca

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

At today’s UCLG World Council meeting in Daejeon, South Korea, the following list of elected officials was elected and ratified for the 2022-2026 term:

President, UCLG (Collegial Presidency ticket, by rotation)

• Carolina Cosse, Mayor of Montevideo, LATAM (President year 1);
• Ibrahim Altay, Mayor of Konya, MEWA (President year 2);
• Jan Van Zanen, Mayor of The Hague, EUROPE (President year 3);
• Lee Jang-Woo, Mayor of Daejeon, ASPAC (President year 4)

Co-Presidents, UCLG

• Li Mongyuan, Mayor of Xi’an, ASPAC
• Stofile Bekhe, President, South African Local Government Association (SALGA), AFRICA
• Kulginov Altay, Mayor of Astana, EURASIA
• Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener, NORAM
• Johnny Araya, Mayor of San Jose, LATAM

Treasurer, UCLG

• Rhalalou Asmaa, Mayor of Rabat, AFRICA

President, UCLG Gender Equality Standing Committee

• Fatimetou Abdel Malick, President Nouakchott Region, AFRICA

Special appointments for UCLG Representation

Pact for the Future Ambassadors

• Ambassador for the Future of People (Ada Colau, Mayor of Barcelona, EUROPE)

• Ambassador for the Future of the Planet (Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, EUROPE)

• Ambassador for the Future of Government (Yucel Yilmaz, Mayor of Baukesir, MEWA)

Special Envoys

• Special Envoy for the New Urban Agenda - Carlos Martinez, Mayor of Soria, EUROPE
• Special Envoy for Food Systems – Mohamed Sefiani, Mayor of Chefchaouen, AFRICA)
• Special Envoy for Freedom, Solidarity, and fighting violence against local political leaders - (Ms. Carola Gunnarsson, Mayor of Sala, EUROPE)