Outstanding Participation of ORU Fogar at the 6th World Forum on Local Economic Development in Seville

The city of Seville, Spain, was the venue for the 6th World Forum on Local Economic Development, an event that turned the Andalusian capital into a global epicenter for debate on development strategies. Over 2,000 representatives from 100 countries—including local and regional governments, as well as international organizations and civil society—gathered to address development challenges from a territorial perspective.

Organized by UNDP, ILO, UCLG, FAMSI, and ORU Fogar, the forum was structured around three main thematic pillars: decent work and social justice; coalitions for financing local economic development; and inclusive local economies. The forum thus offered an exceptional space for reflection on the triple transition (economic, social, and environmental) faced by territories around the world.

ORU Fogar’s participation was particularly prominent. A total of 31 regional speakers took part in the debates. The organization was especially engaged in areas such as food security, gender equality, tourism, and border development, bringing regional voices and perspectives to these program segments.

ORU Fogar’s president, Rachid el Abdi, took part in a panel on food sovereignty and short supply chains, highlighting the achievements of the recent Zero Hunger Summit held by the organization in Barcelona, while also referencing policies implemented by the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Regional Council, which he chairs. He was joined by Percy Godoy Medina, president of the Regional Commonwealth of the Andes and coordinator of ORU Fogar’s Food Sovereignty Working Group.

Representatives of ORU Fogar such as Daniela Andreia Schlogel, advisor to ZICOSUR, and Alexandra Quintanilla, Vice Prefect of Azuay, discussed regional economic empowerment policies for women, in a session that showcased the organization’s commitment to gender equality.

The side-event GLOCAL – Forum on Tourism and Economic Development served as a platform for Rachid el Abdi and governors from various regions to emphasize tourism as a driver of territorial development. Meanwhile, with support from ARFE (Association of European Border Regions), cross-border cooperation was highlighted as a catalyst for development, with examples from the Uruguay River Basin Development Committee, the New Aquitaine–Basque Country–Navarre Euroregion and Oresund, the Danish-Swedish cooperation platform.

In a setting designed to bring together local and regional actors, ORU Fogar reiterated its longstanding messages on territorial balance and the need to avoid rural depopulation, while placing special emphasis on the key role played by intermediate cities. A particularly significant intervention on this topic came from Ariel Barraud, Undersecretary for Economic Policy of the Province of Córdoba, Argentina.

Above all, ORU Fogar’s speakers focused heavily on the financing of regional governments, particularly relevant given that the Forum in Seville took place just three months before the city is set to host the 4th United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development.

In the plenary session on this subject, the spotlight was on the organization’s Vice President and President of the Association of Departments of Senegal, Ahmed Youssouf Benjeloune. He explained how the lack of resources for regional governments in the Global South represents a major obstacle to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This stance was echoed by African representatives such as Abdoulaye Maiga, President of the Association of Regions of Mali; Oury Bailo Diallo, President of the Union of Associations of Local Elected Officials of Senegal; and Jules Hilaire Focka, President of the Western Region of Cameroon. But this call for better funding for southern regional governments was not voiced by African leaders alone—several Latin American representatives also shared similar views. Notably, the intervention of Koki Noriega, Governor of Ancash and President of the National Assembly of Regional Governments of Peru, drew considerable attention, particularly given the strong presence of Peruvian governors.

At the ORU Fogar Bureau meeting held the day after the forum’s close, a highly positive assessment of the event was shared. President Rachid el Abdi noted that this edition marked a significant recovery from the difficulties experienced during the 5th Forum in Córdoba (Argentina), held at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. He praised and congratulated FAMSI (Andalusian Fund of Municipalities for International Solidarity) for being such outstanding hosts. Regarding ORU Fogar’s involvement, Secretary General Carles Llorens highlighted several figures that demonstrate the organization’s deep engagement with the forum, including the organization of 51 B2B meetings. On a qualitative level, he emphasized the importance of the contacts established between many ORU Fogar members and the Andalusian, Basque, and Extremaduran cooperation agencies, as well as with the Global Fund for Cities Development, UNDP, and the ILO.