In a year that began full of hope by focusing on synchronization and joint work in Tangier, and a year in which we adopted our commitment to bring the transformative vision of our collective to the United Nations, has also been one of the most difficult years of the century.

The pandemic and, as a consequence, the containment measures, have put our life systems in check but the UCLG universe responded with strength and solidarity through our Live Learning Experiences.

We have been closer than ever before and our contacts have gone far beyond the exchange of experiences. These live learning experiences have served to empower the global municipal community, to deepen our relationship with the United Nations system, and above all, to provide tools to our membership to respond to crises, to put value on the provision of public services, and to continue to advocate for the localization of universal agendas, a true framework for transformation.

I believe that UCLG, that the municipalist movement is now, more than ever, recognized as a global political actor that produces global visions such as the Decalogue for the post-COVID era and the Rome Charter, as well as clear positions on Equality, democratic renewal and the strengthening of human rights in a framework of green and sustainable recovery.

Furthermore, dear colleagues, this 2020 has been the year of our commitment to the renewal of the multilateral system, and to global agendas. A process that began in Durban, with the invitation of the UN Special Envoy for the 75th Anniversary, and culminated with our organization providing the Vision Report of our network to the General Assembly.

In addition, this year we continue our facilitation of the Urban20 and work on innovative spaces such as the BRICS Forum for Cooperation between Friendly Cities and Local Governments, which will be followed up in our work plan.

I would also like to recall the important role of our collective gathered in the Global Taskforce of local and regional governments, which has always shown its willingness to promote a true local-global movement for the localization of the SDGs, and for the transformation of our world in which our communities foresee.

This first year of our presidency has allowed me to get to know in depth the diverse universe of the century-old municipalist movement that UCLG represents.

The year 2020 has allowed us to reinvent our municipalist DNA, the protection of the public, closeness, the redefinition of the essential, care policies.

We enter 2021 with hope, ready to rise to the historic moment we are living in and take destiny into our own hands together with the communities we represent.

We have a clear objective, the development of a Pact for the future with the people, the government, and the planet; that lays the foundations to respond to the aspirations of this and future generations.

With a thought for all those lives we have lost in our communities and for all the public employees who guarantee the services, I want to present to you, on behalf of the Presidency team, our determination to work to ensure that 2021 expands the frontiers of what we now believe is possible towards an inclusive recovery that takes into account all people and all places equally.

Happy New Year 2021!