During the closing day of the inaugural Summit of the Americas' Cities in Denver, Colorado (USA), Mayor Claudia López met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the first US Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy, Nina Hachigian.
Prior to the meeting with female mayors from the Western Hemisphere, Blinken spoke about the importance of jointly learning lessons to face major challenges more effectively. Regarding Bogotá, he said: " I had some opportunity being in Bogotá with the mayor to see some extraordinary things that the mayor’s doing in Bogotá that are – that have not just powerful results for people in Bogotá, but are really instructive and having effects beyond Bogotá, beyond Colombia, beyond the people who live in the region."
During the meeting with the US Secretary of State, the Mayor presented the Care Blocks as a social development and economic empowerment strategy for vulnerable women. She also explained the Secretariat of Environment's program "Mujeres que Reverdecen," and the entrepreneurship program for women, "Creo en Mi," from the Secretariat of Economic Development.
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Similarly, Claudia López made three requests to Secretary Blinken. First, she requested support from the US government in the plan that the Secretary-general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, presents to the General Assembly for the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Pact for the Future. "An agenda that is supported by the US government and that cities are invited to work with states to achieve the SDGs," she stated.
Secondly, she asked for rules to be defined by development banks to facilitate direct loans to cities. "Cities have the solutions, but national states have the money and we need to strengthen our own fiscal base, but also have direct access to resources from multilateral banks for climate change, social justice, education, and gender equity projects," Claudia López commented.
Lastly, she asked for cities in the United States to join global city networks such as Metropolis and UCLG, "so that it becomes a permanent space for political dialogue where we can speak as mayors, as practical leaders who solve concrete things at the local level."
This is a tweet in which the mayor López thanks the US Secretary of State for recognizing the city's efforts to host the migrant population:
Gracias Secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos, @SecBlinken, por reconocer y apoyar el esfuerzo que los ciudadanos bogotanos hemos hecho por acoger e incluir a la población migrante, a los nuevos bogotanos! pic.twitter.com/7pf11iewK1
— Claudia López Hernández (@ClaudiaLopez) April 29, 2023
Mayor López indicated that Blinken has responded to the requests by establishing a dialogue with the Department of State, his team, the United Nations Ambassador, and Nina Hachigian, so that they can manage and carry them out.
"At the Cities Summit of the Americas, I emphasized that local leaders play a vital role in closing the gender gap for access to opportunities and decision-making power. It was a privilege to meet with women mayors from the Americas who are leading positive change in this area in their cities," Blinken commented.
It is worth noting that Claudia López is also the President of the global network of major cities and metropolitan areas: Metropolis, and Vice President of the United Cities and Local Governments UCLG.
Closing of the Summit: "Human Mobility in the Americas: City-led Solutions"
At the closing event of the summit, Blinken praised the leadership of Mayor Claudia López and highlighted the comprehensive attention work being carried out in Bogotá towards migration.
"I had the opportunity to be in Bogotá the last time I was in Colombia, it is one of the city's pioneering migration integration facilities, which offers basically a one-stop-shop where people get a temporary protected status card.," Blinken highlighted.
In his words of recognition, he recalled that during his visit to Bogotá, he had the opportunity to see some extraordinary things that the Mayor is doing "that not only have powerful results for the people there, but are truly guiding and have effects beyond the city, beyond Colombia, beyond the people living in the region."
Here is a tweet from the US Secretary of State in which he talks about the meeting with Mayor of Bogotá, Claudia López:
At the #CitiesSummit, I emphasized that local leaders play a vital role in closing the gender gap for access to opportunities and decision-making power. It was a privilege to meet with women mayors from the Americas who are leading positive change in this area in their cities. pic.twitter.com/SGFl5tQV57
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 28, 2023
At the same time, he added that "Because of these efforts, Bogotá has welcomed more refugees in recent years than any other city in the Americas, or as Mayor López likes to call them, "New Bogotanos." Colombia as a whole has given refuge to more than 2 and a half million Venezuelans who were displaced by their country's crisis. And because the protected status that Colombia gives them allows Venezuelans to work, they are also contributing to Colombia's economy, filling jobs, providing services, and starting a new business. These efforts are driving growth, creating opportunities for Colombians as well as Venezuelans, and they're showing that we can actually manage migration safely, humanely, and use it as an opportunity to strengthen our communities."
For her part, Mayor López recalled that when Colombia was in crisis, Venezuela received more than four million Colombians. "Yes, it is difficult to receive half a million people in times of crisis, and when there is no employment or food, even worse in a crisis like the pandemic. But never forget that there was a time when Colombia was in a civil war and in a serious crisis, and Venezuela also received four million Colombians. So never forget that they were there for us yesterday and today we have to be there for them, and that is the behavior we have had," she said.
The mayor also said that it is necessary to allow people in the Americas to plan their lives and be able to move. "And we are not just citizens of Denver, Barranquilla, or Bogotá in the 21st century, we are citizens of the world. So, we must allow ourselves to move, we must be welcomed to move, and we must all be prepared to receive and give at any time," she said.
Inter-American Award for Innovation in Effective Public Management
On the other hand, the Mayor also received from the Organization of American States (OAS) the "Inter-American Award for Innovation in Effective Public Management PIGEP 2022". This initiative recognizes innovation strategies in public management that contribute to a greater culture of transparency, effectiveness, inclusion, and appropriate incorporation of citizen participation mechanisms in public administrations in the Americas.
Bogotá received this recognition in the category of "Innovation in the Use of Evidence from Behavioral Sciences, 2022" and was awarded an Honorary Mention for the Innovative Experience "Senda de la Integridad" led by the General Secretariat of the Mayor's Office. It is important to note that for the 2022 edition, 48 applications were submitted from nine countries.
This is a city initiative that consists of the innovative use of gamification tools through the formation of teams, a points system, and recreational challenges to generate integrity and cultural changes in public entities in order to strengthen citizen trust.
"For Bogotá, the Honorary Mention from the OAS represents recognition of the effort of each of the local public servants who have joined 'Senda de la Integridad.' It is also a recognition of the citizens who have supported us in building and rethinking ways to combat corruption," highlighted the mayor from Denver.
Panel "The Fight for Truth and Trust: Countering Disinformation in the Americas"
Likewise, she participated with Jena Griswold, Secretary of State of Colorado, in the panel "The Fight for Truth and Trust: Countering Disinformation in the Americas", organized by the Equis Institute, a center for Latino community leaders; the US Department of State and Arizona State University.
In this space, the mayor highlighted the importance of achieving respectful and empathetic communication with citizens as a response to disinformation in the age of social media. "It's not just about providing reliable information, but doing so with empathy, respect, and truth. It's also necessary to fight against impunity, so that citizens don't lose trust in institutions," emphasized the Mayor.
Likewise, she participated in the panel "Women's Leadership and Gender Mainstreaming" organized by the Network of Cities for Gender Equity CHANGE (City Hub and Network for Gender Equity). A space to share strategies from cities to improve conditions for women, girls, and gender diverse people.
The mayor presented the achievements of Bogota's District Care System, which through its 17 Care Blocks and two Care Buses has already provided more than 339,000 services. "The Care System began as a pact and ended as a permanent policy of the city. This is an important achievement for the city and for all present and future administrations that will never again be able to leave women in the city behind," emphasized the Mayor.
Panel "The Fight for Truth and Trust: Countering Disinformation in the Americas"
Likewise, she participated with Jena Griswold, Secretary of State of Colorado, in the panel "The Fight for Truth and Trust: Countering Disinformation in the Americas", organized by the Equis Institute, a center for Latino community leaders; the US Department of State and Arizona State University.
In this space, the mayor highlighted the importance of achieving respectful and empathetic communication with citizens as a response to disinformation in the age of social media. "It's not just about providing reliable information but doing so with empathy, respect, and truth. It's also necessary to fight against impunity so that citizens don't lose trust in institutions," emphasized the Mayor.
Likewise, she participated in the panel "Mainstreaming Gender in Urban Policy" organized by the City Hub and Network for Gender Equity - CHANGE. A space to share strategies from cities to improve conditions for women, girls, and gender-diverse people.
The mayor presented the achievements of Bogota's Care System, which through its 17 Care Blocks and two Care Buses has already provided more than 339,000 services. "The Care System began as a pact and ended as a permanent policy of the city. This is an important achievement for the city and for all present and future administrations that will never again be able to leave women in the city behind," emphasized the Mayor.