Bucharest Meeting of UDITE (The Federation of European Union Local Authority Chief Executive Officers)
The B40 Permanent Secretariat was invited to Bucharest on 12 May 2023 to participate in the Executive Board Meeting of the Federation of European Union Local Authority Chief Executive Officers (UDITE), co-organised by the Association of Public Administrators of Romania (AAPRO). B40 Permanent Secretary Barbaros Büyüksağnak delivered a speech at the event organised at the Bucharest Parliament and held several meetings for the diffusion of B40 in Romania. During the meetings, it was decided to promote B40 all over Romania in order to attract new members to join B40 by AAPRO, which has more than 700 members. In addition, during the meeting between Horia Tomescu, Deputy Mayor of Bucharest and Barbaros Büyüksağnak, Permanent Secretary of B40, important steps were taken for the membership of Bucharest
B40 Permanent Secretary Barbaros Büyüksağnak met with the Consuls General of Balkan Countries in Istanbul
The B40 Permanent Secretariat held a working meeting on 10 May 2023 with the Consuls General of Balkan countries in Istanbul. In his address to the Consuls General, Mr. Barbaros Büyüksağnak, Permanent Secretary of B40, gave an overview of the current status and latest activities of B40. Afterwards, the current situation in the Balkans, opportunities for cooperation between the Balkan cities and views on B40 were discussed. The brochure describing the latest activities of B40 was shared with the Consuls General and a family photo was taken.
First Round of the B40 Working Group Meetings was successfully conducted
The first round of the B40 Working Group Meetings, held online between 19 April – 28 April 2023, under the leadership of City of Athens brought together technical experts from member local governments in all four working groups.
97 experts from B40 members attended the working group meetings. Delivering the opening speeches of the meetings, Mr. Barbaros Büyüksağnak, Permanent Secretary of B40, emphasized the importance of cooperation among member cities to address common challenges and work for sustainable development, and expressed his confidence in the contribution of the activities to be carried out within this period to the Balkans.
In the Smart Cities and Digital Transformation Working Group meeting held on April 19 under the leadership of Mr. Dimitris Stamadis, the issues of leveraging technology and data to improve quality of life and governance in B40 member cities were discussed by the participants. B40 Hackathon and B40 Open Data Portal projects, which aim to encourage innovation and address social issues through technology, were presented at the meeting.
In the Local Climate Action Working Group meeting held on April 26 under the leadership of Ms. Elissavet Mpargianni, participants focused on strategies to combat climate change at the local level, coping with natural disasters, and promoting sustainable practices in B40 member cities. In the meeting where the project on raising biodiversity awareness was discussed, the participants shared their opinions following the working group leader’s presentations.
In the Local Economic and Cultural Cooperation Working Group meeting held on April 27 under the leadership of Ms. Erifili Maroniti, opportunities for economic cooperation and cultural exchange were discussed by member cities. Among the issues raised were strengthening cultural ties, conducting joint tourism activities and promoting economic co-operation to support inclusive growth.
In the Local Democracy and Migration Working Group meeting held on April 28, under the leadership of Ms. Melina Daskalakis, the issue of women’s participation in the labor market was discussed and several presentations were made. It was decided that the focus of the working group this year would be the integration of women into the labor market.
Throughout the meetings, participants engaged in fruitful dialogues and shared best practices and innovative solutions. The B40 Working Group Meetings aimed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience to strengthen the collective efforts of member cities in achieving the sustainable development goals.
The B40 Working Group Meetings concluded with a renewed commitment from member cities to continue working together and implementing the initiatives discussed. The cooperation and collective efforts demonstrated during these meetings will provide a solid foundation for further progress and sustainable development in the B40 community.