Dear ICLEI Leaders,
I write to you today not only as the President of ICLEI but also as a fellow Mayor: Someone who, like you, carries the daily weight of leading a city through complex times.
Simply by reading this letter, you are demonstrating the power and impact of ICLEI. You are an example that we often do not have to reinvent the wheel and that we are more effective when local governments stand together and share solutions. When we use our collective voice together, the very real challenges we face every day feel more manageable. This gives me hope that despite all the pressure and expectations placed on local leaders from all sides, we are strong together and, in this spirit, will rise to the challenge.
This year, that belief has a very concrete expression: ICLEI’s global governance elections.
Every three years, ICLEI’s governance is renewed by its own Membership. Eligible Members can vote and stand for election on their Regional Executive Committee (RexCom) – the body that works alongside ICLEI experts at the regional level. The nine RexCom then come together to form the ICLEI Council, our primary decision-making body. From each RexCom, representatives are elected to represent their region on the Global Executive Committee (GexCom). This also includes thematic portfolio holders, working together to guide ICLEI’s strategy worldwide. Finally, the GexCom will elect the Vice Presidents and President who represent us all on the highest political level.
This structure exists for a simple reason: So that ICLEI reflects the ideas and aspirations of its Members in its work, not the other way around. This only works if you take part.
As we approach the 2027-2030 governance term and look toward the ICLEI World Congress in Pohang, Republic of Korea, next year, I kindly ask two things of you. The first is to use your voice to vote. We are a diverse network of highly ambitious local leaders, and I encourage you to take the time to consider who among your peers can best carry our network forward in these critical but challenging times. You may not need to look very far. If you have ever felt that you could contribute more actively to the strategic and political direction of ICLEI I ask you to consider standing for election. These decision-making bodies are one of the most direct ways that you can engage in the global conversation and push local leaders to the forefront of climate action, a position many of us already take.
Our network is only as strong as the leaders who shape it, and I hope you will be one of them.
Yours in solidarity,
Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh
Mayor of Malmö, Sweden
President, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
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