Makati City Mayor Abby Binay on Thursday, Oct. 12, was chosen as a member of the United Nations Secretary-General's (UNSG) Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments aimed at boosting the capabilities of local governments around the world in achieving a more sustainable future.
Binay is the only Philippine local government executive to join the prestigious assembly. Another Filipino in the group is former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Marivel Sacendoncillo.
According to Binay, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a letter to her underscoring the important time-bound role of the Advisory Group in strengthening the engagement of local and regional governments in intergovernmental and national planning processes.
"As an Advisory Group member, I trust that I can count on your knowledge and expertise in the field of multi-level governance to localize and align efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)," Guterres stated.
"I look forward to the work you will undertake with fellow Advisory Group members to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda," he added.
The mayor accepted the appointment, noting the crucial role of local governance in global sustainable development.
"I am deeply honored to accept this crucial role and its responsibilities. I pledge to be the voice of cities throughout Southeast Asia, ensuring that our unique and shared challenges and aspirations echo in the corridors of global decision-making, driving meaningful change for a sustainable future for all,” she said.
Binay explained the Advisory Group will work over a one-year period and meet with the Secretary-General on three occasions to inform on local and regional governments’ dimensions for consideration in preparatory processes of the Summit of the Future. The Group’s work will also address modalities and means to enhance institutional mechanisms to strengthen engagement of local and regional governments in intergovernmental processes.
It is also expected to create opportunities to strengthen cooperation between national and local and regional governments, and the UN Country Teams. Moreover, the group is expected to produce a set of recommendations with strategic guidance in the run up to the Summit of the Future in September 2024.
The local chief stressed that Makati City understands that the majority of SDG targets cannot be met without the active participation of local and regional governments. “We are not just contributors; we are catalysts," she noted.
On October 6, Binay joined the first hybrid meeting of the group among its 20 members presided over by Guterres. She had pledged to work closely with the group to redefine the future of multi-laterism from the grassroots up.
“As we consider ways to make multilateral institutions more effective, and to meet the current and future challenges facing people and planet, we need the perspectives and engagement of local and regional authorities,” stated the secretary general during the opening of the meeting.
Other city mayors appointed to the UNSG advisory body include Eric Adams (New York), Valerie Plante (Montreal), Sadiq Khan (London), Anne Hidalgo (Paris), Asmaa Rhlalou, (Rabat) Sharon Dijskma (Utrecht), Fatma Sahin (Gaziantep), Yousef Shawarbeh (Amman), Atiqul Islam (Dhaka North City), Bernard Wagner (Belize), and Carolina Cosse (Montevideo).
Other members include Catalina Velasco, Minister of Housing, City and Territory (Colombia), Nandita Chatterjee, former Secretary , Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (India), Suleiman Adamu, Federal Ministry of Water Resources (Nigeria), Pilar Cancela Rodriguez, and State Secretary for International Cooperation (Spain).
Also in the group are Governor Paola Pabon (Pichincha), Governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu County), and President Fatimetou Mint Abdel Malick (Nouakchott Region, Mauritania).
On Sept. 4, Binay was named a member of the advisory committee of the prestigious COP28 or 2023 UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) for her advocacy in promoting climate change awareness and sustainability amid the ongoing adverse effects of climate change.
"Ang makabuluhan at makasaysayang conference na ito ay gaganapin simula Nobyembre 30 at matatapos sa Disyembre 12, 2023. Ako po ang kaisa-isang mayor na magre-represent sa Pilipinas at Southeast Asia. Isang malaking karangalang maimbitahang sumali sa COP28 Advisory Committee. Layon kong palakasin ang boses ng mga lokal na komunidad at bigyang-diin ang kahalagahan ng mga siyudad sa climate action (This significant and historic conference will be held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, 2023 where I'm the only mayor who will represent the Philippines and Southeast Asia. It is such an honor to be invited to join the COP28 Advisory Committee. My goal is to strengthen the voices of local communities and stress the importance of cities in promoting climate action)," Binay said.
"Excited na akong makasama ang mahigit 30 leaders mula sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo at makapagbahagi ng mga insight at ideya kay Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, president-designate para sa COP28. Siya rin ang Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology at UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change. Kabilang sa mga tatalakayin namin ang climate adaptation, mitigation, finance, loss and damage, food and agriculture, at nature-based solutions (I am very excited to join over 30 leaders from other parts of the globe and share my insights and ideas with COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber. He is also the minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change. Some of the topics we will tackle include climate adaptation, mitigation, finance, loss and damage, food and agriculture, and nature-based solutions)," she added.
The mayor explained that her selection is a significant advantage to the city as it allows it to showcase its best practices and initiatives globally. It also opens opportunities for her to learn from other international leaders and bring back valuable insights and strategies to improve Makati's development efforts further.