Local level Bringing together mayors and local councillors across the world, United Cities and Local Governments is a truly global organisation with a democratic structure. It provides a means for citizens to express themselves though their democratically elected representatives on the world stage.
National level These councillors and mayors come together at national level in Local Government Associations, which represent the towns, cities and metropolises of a single country. Individual councillors and mayors are elected by their counterparts across the country to represent them internationally.
Regional level It is at the regional level that mayors and councillors are elected to represent one of the seven world regions in the world organisation; Africa, Asia Pacific, Euro-Asia, Europe, Middle East and West Asia, Latin America and North America.
Through this structure, United Cities and Local Governments is able to truly represent all local governments, big and small. But, it also has a Metropolitan Section, to cater for the special interests of cities of over 1 million inhabitants. These cities also elect mayors and councillors to represent Metropolises in the world organisation.
World level The members of United Cities and Local Governments come together in a General Assembly and, based on the elections that have taken place at regional and metropolitan level, elect the World Council. The World Council brings together 318 mayors and councillors from all regions of the world, representing local governments of all types.
Any mayor or local councillor can be elected, providing they have the support and the mandate of their counterparts in their city, country or region. They can even be nominated for the Presidency of United Cities and Local Governments – the three mayors or councillors who are the principle representatives of the world organisation. The Presidency is elected on the basis of a simple majority to ensure they have a full democratic mandate conferred on them by local mayors across the world.
