June 3, 2023. San José, Costa Rica. “From the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy of the Americas, I reiterate our commitment to collaborate with municipalities and mayors to implement projects with high climate benefits,” said Helinah Cardoso, director of the GCoM, during her speech at the Assembly of the Latin American Federation of Cities, Municipalities and Municipal Associations (FLACMA) 2023.

Costa Rica hosted the FLACMA Ordinary General Assembly and Executive Bureau, which was held from June 1 to 2. Local government leaders and mayors participated, as well as representatives of organizations, projects, and programs from Latin America and the Caribbean.

During the two-day sessions, the priorities of the Latin American municipal movement led by FLACMA were reviewed, and the internal governing bodies for the coming years were also renewed.

Johnny Araya Monge, mayor of the Municipality of San José and re-elected president of FLACMA, delivered the “Letters of Intent,” a document reaffirming the collaboration between the GCoM, a European Union project, and FLACMA, to strengthen a Comprehensive Cooperation Program between both parties.

“Recognizing that international cooperation is one of the factors that favorably impact the solution of problems affecting our respective cities and municipalities, and having as a reference the localization of the SDGs, the 2030 Agenda, the new urban agenda, and the advances achieved in the process of coordination and collaboration of cities and local governments to reinforce the role of cities on the international stage, we sign this declaration of intent,” Araya stated.

Both FLACMA and the National Union of Local Governments (UNGL) are governance bodies of the GCoM in the Americas, which provides a great opportunity to work together and strengthen synergies to prepare cities to structure local climate action projects and especially to channel resources from international cooperation to implement projects that allow local governments to be protagonists in processes facing climate change.

“As you know, the Global Covenant of Mayors is a European Union project, and with the European Union being a strategic partner on the issue of climate change, the GCoM’s governance structure is open for all national and regional networks of municipalities that are not yet part of us also to have a voice and use this project to provide solutions and share experiences with other municipalities,” warned Cardoso.

The GCoM

The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) is the largest global alliance of cities and municipalities leading the fight against climate change, with the support of municipal networks and other key actors of subnational climate action.

It has more than 12,000 committed cities in more than 140 countries worldwide, representing more than 11% of the world’s population.

In Latin America, the GCoM is funded by the European Union’s Partnership Instrument, and more than 650 cities from 17 countries participate.

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Press and communication

Alexandra Cortes, Communication [email protected]
Ebida Santos, Communication [email protected]