The ICLEI World Congress, held last month in São Paulo, Brazil, reinforced ICLEI’s strategy towards zero emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development, and gave rise to a number of key initiatives of importance for Oceania and small coastal cities and regions.

“Local governments often lack the necessary funding and influence to implement comprehensive sustainability initiatives, even though it is the local level that has both the will and pragmatism to create systemic change,” said Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Mayor of Malmö, Sweden and ICLEI President. “The clear message of this ICLEI World Congress is that we urgently need to take responsibility for creating sustainable cities, towns, and regions, even if sometimes it is hard and complex. The choices we make now will determine whether we are able to accelerate a fair and inclusive green transition. I’m fully convinced if we act as one determined ICLEI community, we can achieve sustainability.”

In this spirit, cooperation between coastal cities to drive sustainability in the Oceania region was discussed in depth at the Congress. Building off ICLEI’s cooperation agreement between the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), signed at the latest Climate COP, ICLEI Oceania Members, Chair Saliceni Raiwalui from Nadi Town Council, Fiji and Cr Teva Bernadino for Punaauia, French Polynesia took part in the co-design process led by ICLEI and the IFRC to influence a new Coastal Cities program.

The “Charting a Resilient Course” dialogue hosted by the two parties brought many Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to the planning table to shape this joint program. Chair Sali reiterated that “we are all stakeholders working together in harmony to solve our issues and this opportunity to influence future programming on coastal cities was invaluable.”

For more on ICLEI global partnerships, support programs and advocacy in the Oceania region, contact us at oceania@iclei.org.