Bogota has been chosen to host the fifth United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) summit in 2016, fighting off competition from over 20 different nominated countries.
More than 3,000 people from 120 countries will convene in Bogota to discuss different ways of advocating local self-democratic government.
According to its official website, UCLG “represents and defends the interests of local governments on the world stage, regardless of the size of the communities they serve.” The organization professes to being “the united voice and world advocate of democratic local self-government, promoting its values, objectives and interests, through cooperation between local governments, and within the wider international community.”
Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro claimed on Twitter that the event will be the “largest global scale event to ever take place in Bogota.”
El congreso mundial de gobiernos locales será el evento más grande de escala global que Bogotá haya realizado hasta ahora
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) October 4, 2013
According to news website CM&, Petro said that the city deserved the win and it will be an opportunity to show the world the triumph of peace.
The UCLG convenes every three years, and is currently taking place in Rabat, Kuwait.