On January 28 and 29, the International Executive Committee of the VI World Forum on Local Economic Development (WFLED) met at the Córdoba headquarters of the Andalusian Fund of Municipalities for International Solidarity (FAMSI), the organization that holds the global secretariat of the Forum.

The International Committee is composed of FAMSI, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the Organization of United Regions (ORU-Fogar), and the Global Fund for Cities Development (FMDV), along with other relevant institutions such as the Global Care Alliance, GSEF, the OECD, the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, and the Local 2030 Coalition. The International Committee leads and coordinates global efforts for the realization of the 6th World Forum on Local Economic Development and is responsible for defining WFLED’s strategic vision, structuring the thematic agenda, and mobilizing resources and key actors at a global level.

The sessions aimed to structure the thematic agenda and work on a program proposal with more defined sessions and leaderships.

Participants in the meeting included Manuel Redaño (FAMSI manager), Emilio Rabasco (FAMSI director), Xavier Mestres (coordinator of the VI World Forum on Local Economic Development), Sara Hoeflich (director of Learning at UCLG), Jordi Llopart (senior advisor to the UNDP Administrator on Strategic Partnerships), Pierre Martinot (advisor on Religious Affairs and Partnerships at ILO), Carles Llorens (secretary general of ORU-Fogar), Carlos de Freitas (FMDV), Sara Valdés (project manager at the Global Care Alliance), Sandra Moreno (executive secretary of RIPESS), Claire Frost (project manager at the Commonwealth Forum), Oscar Coronado (OECD), Anna Rubin (director of the OECD Local Development Forum), Aude Saldana (secretary general of GSEF), Anna Calvete (UCLG), and Iñigo Albiol (deputy director of the Local 2030 Coalition).

On the morning and afternoon of January 28, different working sessions were held to define sessions, speakers, and share and agree on the co-leaderships of the themes that each organization will address within the Forum’s program.

At the end of the day, a reception was held at the Royal Stables of Córdoba, followed by an official welcome at Córdoba City Hall, where Eva Contador, deputy mayor of Córdoba, welcomed the International Committee to the city. The Andalusian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FAMP) was also present at the reception. The day concluded with a night visit to the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba.

January 29 served to consolidate the ideas shared the previous day and finalize the structure of the thematic agenda and the program, which will be shared in the coming weeks.

The VI World Forum on Local Economic Development will take place in Seville from April 1 to 4, 2025, bringing together more than 2,500 leaders from around the world. The National Committee for the sixth edition is composed of the City Council of Seville, the Provincial Council of Seville, the Government of Andalusia, the Andalusian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation.