The CIB Annual Meeting 2026 took place in Tangier, Morocco, as part of the UCLG World Congress. Under the theme From Action Paper to Action: Evolving Local Government Development Cooperation in Practice, participants discussed how local government development cooperation can respond to a changing international environment. We would like to share some of the key messages that emerged from the meeting.
- Local governments need to be more proactive in building partnerships and demonstrate how local government cooperation contributes to wider political priorities
Local governments need to actively pursue new partnerships and engage with new actors, including development banks, the private sector and civil society. At the same time, local government development cooperation needs to connect more clearly to wider development priorities, such as economic development, climate action, resilience, peace and diplomacy. With their specific knowledge of territories, communities and public services, as well as their democratic legitimacy, local governments are well placed to connect development policies and investments to local needs and priorities.
- Sustainable Local Government Development Cooperation requires more than financial resources
Successful Local Government Development Cooperation depends not only on funding or individual projects, but also on political commitment, institutional capacity and local ownership. To achieve lasting results, financial resources need to be combined with local knowledge, public-sector expertise and strong local public policies. At the same time, cooperation needs to reflect the different institutional and political contexts in which local governments operate. Long-term partnerships, peer learning and knowledge exchange can help strengthen local institutions and develop solutions that respond to local priorities.
The CIB Annual Meeting has once again provided a useful basis for the CIB’s work ahead. We would like to thank all participants for their valuable contributions and look forward to taking these priorities forward together.
Please get access to the Action Paper through the attachments.
