The role of cities in a reformed UN: towards the institutionalisation of the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments

The UN marks its 75th anniversary amid growing calls for the reform of multilateralism. The international municipalism has been advocating for this reform since its inception. Two of the most noteworthy proposals are obtaining permanent observer status at the General Assembly and institutionalising the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments (WALRG). Despite some progress over the last decades, most initiatives remain more symbolic than real. Significant challenges therefore still lie ahead. Further institutionalising the WALRG would require rethinking its current governance scheme, especially its level of representativity and the role played by associations of local and regional governments.