ICLEI is run by the local and regional governments that are part of the Network. Every three years, a group of leaders is selected to represent the organization globally and provide strategic guidance.

In the most recent election, the Mayor of Bonn, Ashok-Alexander Sridharan, was officially elected President of ICLEI for the 2018-2021 term on June 1, 2018. In this role, Sridharan will lead the Network, composed of more than 1,500 local and regional governments, which is transforming the urban world. Also elected were: Councillor Cathy Oke, from Melbourne (Australia), as first vice-president, and Mayor Stephanie Uy-Tan, from Catbalogan (Philippines), and Mayor Frank Cownie, from Des Moines (USA) as vice-presidents.

Mayor Sridharan is committed to leading sustainability efforts in his city and stimulating action at a global level. The UN motto in Bonn – Shaping a Sustainable Future – equally represents key principles for the city: equitable local development, international cooperation, and global advocacy – three areas in which the mayor is active and engaged. As Mayor of Bonn, a city that hosts 19 United Nations agencies, Sridharan represents local and regional governments in key global forums, including international climate negotiations.

On June 1, 2018, he was elected by the ICLEI Global Executive Committee (GexCom), the group of leaders elected by the Network to represent ICLEI in international institutions and make strategic decisions on behalf of the organization. “As president of the Network, I will be proud to carry forward the Montreal Commitment and ICLEI Strategic Vision,” said Mayor Sridharan. “It is in our hands to act with a sense of urgency as we transform urban areas around the world, and to ensure a sustainable future for what will soon represent two-thirds of humanity.”

Ashok Sridharan succeeds Seoul Mayor Park Won Soon, who led the ICLEI Network from 2015 to 2018, and who in that role was committed to fostering collective action and solidarity throughout the ICLEI Network.

* Adapted version of the original article published by ICLEI Global. Check it out original articles in English.