The city of Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, is preparing to host the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders, the 5th Congress of our World Organization, from 12 to 15 October 2015.

For the first time in our history, the World Congress will coincide with a United Nations Conference on Sustainable Urban Development – the Habitat III Conference – which will take place a few days after our Summit, from 17 to 20 October 2016, in Quito, Ecuador.

From Bogotá to Quito, the Summit will enable us to promote the recommendations, practices and experiences of local and regional authorities and ensure they are brought to fruition. It is in this way that we want to make the 5th Congress a leading political moment and a space for meeting and exchange among local and regional elected officials from all over the world, as well as among all of the communities that make up the global local and regional family.

It is also why we wanted this Summit to utilize more innovative formats of interaction that afford everyone a space to express and share their views.