On Wednesday (09/04), the 1st ICLEI South America 2025 RexCom Meeting took place. The ICLEI Regional Executive Committee (RexCom) represents the members of each geographic region in the world within the ICLEI Global Network. Its members play an important role in regional and global advocacy strategy and serve as political representatives for key thematic areas of ICLEI's work. 

Learn more about ICLEI's governance structure. 

The meeting focused on strengthening regional collaboration and environmental and climate priorities for the year of COP30 in Brazil, considered a strategic moment for the climate agenda. The mayor of Niterói, Rodrigo Neves, as the holder of the Brazilian seat on RexCom, opened the meeting highlighting ICLEI's role in positioning its members internationally at sustainability events, such as the Local Economic Development Forum in Seville, which took place between April 1st and 4th, 2025. The mayor also emphasized the importance of ICLEI's joint work with partners, the integration of new members, and events throughout the year, particularly the 30th Mercocities Summit, which will take place in Niterói between December 3rd and 5th, after COP30, with the theme of Public Security and Resilience.

Next, Axel Grael, Head of the ICLEI Climate Action Support Portfolio, presented the action priorities for 2025 on the topic: “There are four main lines to be addressed this year: advancing global adaptation and mitigation commitments, climate finance including the carbon market, a topic that ICLEI needs to follow more closely, as it is of interest to local governments, climate federalism, and bringing Amazonian countries closer together to create a joint strategy.”.

As representatives of Pablo Javkin, Mayor of Rosario, Argentina, who holds the position of Chair of the Southern Cone Seat at GexCom, Rogelio Biazzi, Chief of Staff of Rosario, reinforced the municipality's commitment to the climate agenda in the region and to ICLEI, a fundamental partner for Rosario to continue its climate actions and increase its institutional capacity. Several strategic actions of the municipal adaptation and mitigation plan under implementation were highlighted, including those supported by ICLEI, such as EcoLogistics, 100% RE, Gap Fund, and Cities Forward. María del Pilar Bueno, Undersecretary for Climate Change and Just Ecological Transition of Rosario, also pointed out the important advances for the municipality in projects with ICLEI, bringing as an important agenda item for the GexCom meeting (ICLEI's global governance body), the implementation of Baku for Belém – Roadmap 1.3T. 

Daniela de Lara, Coordinator of the Climate Advisory Office of the Secretariat of Environment and Infrastructure of the Government of Rio Grande do Sul, represented Marjorie Kauffmann, State Secretary of Environment and Infrastructure of Rio Grande do Sul and Vice President of ICLEI, and emphasized that the joint work with ICLEI ensures that the robust efforts being made in the state are effective. The State of Rio Grande do Sul is working on several initiatives, such as the climate roadmap platform, a strategic plan that seeks diagnoses for priority sectors, with indicators for monitoring and cross-cutting actions involving all municipalities in the State. Furthermore, the work that ICLEI has been carrying out with the State in [the relevant area] is noteworthy. Building Climate Compliance.

Participants

During the meeting, members of the South American composition of GexCom and RexCom were present: Rodrigo Neves (Mayor of Niterói, Brazil, holder of the Brazilian Seat), Axel Grael (former Mayor of Niterói, Brazil, holder of the Climate Action Support Portfolio). Representing the Mayor of Rosario, Argentina, Pablo Javkin, were Rogelio Biazzi (Chief of Staff of the Municipality of Rosario) and María del Pilar Bueno (Undersecretary for Climate Change and Just Ecological Transition of the Municipality of Rosario). Additionally, Felipe Ochoa (Director General of International Relations and Cooperation of Cuenca) represented Cristian Zamora, Mayor of Cuenca, Ecuador.

The ICLEI South America team also actively participated, including Rodrigo Perpétuo (Executive Secretary of ICLEI South America), Alejandro González (Director of ICLEI Colombia), Maria Julia Reyna (Director of ICLEI Argentina), Bianca Cantoni (Coordinator of Institutional Relations and Advocacy ICLEI South America), Luz Camacho (Coordinator of Institutional Relations and Advocacy ICLEI Colombia), and Isabela Barbosa (Coordinator of Institutional Relations and Advocacy ICLEI Brazil). The meeting provided data on the current number of members in each region, partnerships, ongoing projects, and perspectives and opportunities for 2025.