The workshop addressed the basic principles and best practices of gender mainstreaming. In thematic working groups, participants from 18 municipalities from Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon brainstormed ideas to address barriers to gender mainstreaming in their local communities. The ideas were elaborated into action plans.

How can people's trust be strengthened and their willingness to participate promoted? How can the relevant decision-making levels be convinced of the benefits of the new instruments? The international event enabled experts familiar with bottom-up planning approaches to discuss issues of cooperative urban development with municipal representatives.

Volunteers and spontaneous helpers have great potential for responding to disaster events. They are quickly ready for action and often have a very relevant knowledge of local conditions. In our virtual workshop, we looked at practical examples from Istanbul and Dortmund to explore how volunteers can be best deployed without hindering the work of disaster management professionals. 

The two partner municipalities Dresden and Brazzaville have long been interested in how urban gardening can help foster sustainable development while addressing people’s direct food needs. With the education project "One child – one planter", the Congolese capital is endeavouring to link environmental education with gardening and food production in schools. Dresden's four-hectare urban gardens promote a better urban climate and increase the biodiversity in the city. Dresden also wants to promote its status as an "edible city". Let the two cities inspire you!

In 2014, the Municipality of Kotor was the first municipality in Montenegro that has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights to improve the status and the rights of LGBTQIA+ persons. Since 2020, the UNESCO-protected city and attractive tourist destination has been a proud member of the Rainbow Cities Network, a global network for LGBTQIA+ equality.

The report documents in detail the learning process consisting of three modules from November 2022 to March 2023. Participation in the "Action for Cool Cities" learning process enabled municipalities to share experiences, strengthen their capacities, and develop prototype approaches for their local needs. Six project ideas for municipalities in Jordan, Tunisia, Palestine and Kenya were finalized to implementation stage.

Cities are key players when it comes to combating climate change and finding innovative solutions for climate adaptation. Our Connective Cities side event at the African Climate Summit 2023 focuses on the topic of flood risk management and municipal preparedness. Save the date!

By promoting economic resilience and sustainability, municipalities can seize the opportunity to reduce vulnerability and fragility and take a step towards stability. This online event is targeted to colleagues working on building economic resilience and promoting local and regional economic development.

This workshop addresses practitioners working in municipal partnership settings and anyone interested in learning more about how to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the local and municipal levels. It is designed to facilitate achieving the SDGs in your municipality and to give you the opportunity to network with other municipal representatives and experts.