ABOUT THE FORUM
As we are approaching 2020, migration and displacement are still among the most important and cross-cutting issues that impact populations, sectors and efforts towards more resilient and developed societies in multiple scales. In the face of large migrant movements across the world and the resulting challenges and opportunities, Municipal Forum 2019 aims to bring several local development actors around the world together to provide them a platform to showcase and exchange good practices, facilitate city-level partnerships, and contribute to the existing networks of relevant actors in the migration and displacement contexts.
Turkey is currently hosting the largest number of refugees in the world. Hosted by Turkey’s Gaziantep city which hosts 500,000 Syrian under temporary protection, Municipal Forum 2019 particularly focuses on the exchange of experience among Turkish and various other municipalities from different parts of the world. Ahead of the first Global Refugee Forum (GRF) that Turkey will co-convene and UNHCR will co-host on 17-18 December 2019 in Geneva, Municipal Forum 2019 also highlights how approaches bridging humanitarian and development responses, such as the New Way of Working, have been put into practice to achieve the goals and objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).
As its key outcome, Municipal Forum 2019 presents the 2019 Gaziantep Declaration reflecting, inter alia, good practices on the implementation of globally and regionally agreed principles on local solutions to migration and displacement.
Please find the Declaration here, Concept Note here and Best practices from forum co-hosts’ experience in Turkey here.
About Gaziantep
Partners
hosted by

organized in cooperation with
FEATURED SPEAKERS
We’ll be announcing new speakers as they confirm their participation.
Below photos are in alphabetical order by last names of speakers
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Fuat OktayVice President, Republic of Turkey
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Hülya AlperAcademy Director of WALD
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Seher Alacacı ArınerAssistant Resident Representative, UNDP Turkey
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M. Cemil ArslanSecretary General, Marmara Municipalities Union
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Mohamed BoussraouiProgramme Director, UCLG
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Mehmet DumanSecretary General, UCLG-MEWA / President of the Executive Committee, WALD
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Daniel EndresDirector, Global Refugee Forum, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
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Jean-Marie GarelliUNHCR Turkey Deputy Representative
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Lado Vlademir GvilavaTurkey Chief of Mission, IOM
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Jill HelkeDirector, International Cooperation and Partnerships, IOM, Geneva
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Andreas HollsteinMayor of the City of Altena
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Latif KaradağDeputy Mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality
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Salim KorkmazGeneral Coordinator of UCLG-MEWA
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Firdaous OussidhoumCoordinator of UCLG Intermediary Cities Forum
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Cecile RiallantHead of the Migration and Sustainable Development Unit, IOM
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Alvaro RodriguezUN Turkey Officer in Charge – OIC
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Mohamad SaadieMayor of Deirnbouh, Lebanon / President of UCLG-MEWA / President of Union of Dannieh Municipalities
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Shoichiro SuzukiDeputy Mayor of the City of Kyoto, Japan
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Fatma ŞahinMayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, Turkey
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Claudio TomasiResident Representative, UNDP Turkey Country Office
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Agi VeresDeputy Regional Director, UNDP Europe and the CIS
SPEAKERS
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Ömer ArısoyMayor of Zeytinburnu, İstanbul, Turkey
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Meryem AslanDirector, Oxfam Turkey
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Khaled BablliChairman of the Syrian Businessmen and Entrepreneurs Organization (SIAD)
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Arda BatuSecretary General, TÜRKONFED
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Cai BaodiDirector of Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of Shanghai Public Security Bureau
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Baran BozoğluDirector, Chamber of Environmental Engineers (TMMOB)
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Mehmet Abdi BulutMayor of Kilis Municipality, Turkey
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Dalia Rosa Delgado BurbanoNortheast Territorial Coordinator, UNDP Colombia
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Zinnur BüyükgözMayor of Gebze, Kocaeli
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Vural ÇakırPresident, INGEV Foundation
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Mehmet Murat ÇalıkMayor of Beylikdüzü, İstanbul, Turkey
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Tony DoyleChief Executive Officer, Knox City Council, Australia
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Abdurrahman DursunMayor of Sultangazi, İstanbul, Turkey
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Ayşegül Yalçın ErişDeputy General Coordinator, The Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (SGDD-ASAM)
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Šuhret FazlićMayor of Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Susana Garrido GandulloMayor of Villamanrique de la Condesa, Seville, Spain
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Dušanka GolubovićMayor of the City of Sombor, Serbia
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Kenan GültürkDeputy Mayor of Bağcılar Municipality, İstanbul, Turkey
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Mehmet HarmancıMayor of the Nicosia Turkish Municipality, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
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Paul Clements-HuntCEO, The Blended Capital Group
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Nuray KaraoğluKA.DER Chairwoman
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Hüseyin KeskinMayor of Sultanbeyli, İstanbul, Turkey
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Muammer KeskinMayor of Sisli, Istanbul, Turkey
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Ali Haidar KhalifehMayor of Sarafand Municipality, Lebanon
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Asim KhanEx-Mayor of Peshawar City District Government, Pakistan
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Iris Bjorg KristjansdottirRegional Migration and Humanitarian Specialist, UN Women Europe
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Gordon NobleHead of Policy and Advocacy, Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative
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Ruslan MartsinkivMayor of Ivano-Frankivsk City, Ukraine
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Rouba MhaissenFounder & Director, SAWA for Development and Aid
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Burak OğuzMayor of Urla, İzmir, Turkey
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Dinçer OrkanMayor of Karesi Municipality, Balıkesir, Turkey
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Antonio Rodríguez OsunaMayor of Mérida, Extremadura, Spain
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Sinan ÖzdenNational Project Coordinator, SKL International RESLOG-Turkey Project
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Şenay ÖzdenResearcher in Anthropology
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Teodor PetkovMayor of Vitosha, Sofia, Bulgaria
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Bojan RandjelovicAssistant Mayor of Pirot City, Serbia
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Maria RamosJournalist and TRT World News Anchor
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Gayed SenedRepresentative, Tomorrow’s Women Committee
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Rumiko SeyaPresident of Japan Center for Conflict Prevention / Director, JCCP M Co., Ltd.
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Mehmet TahmazoğluMayor of Şahinbey Municipality, Gaziantep, Turkey
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Sertaç TurhalProject Manager, Syria Crisis Resilience and Response Programme, UNDP Turkey
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Harold Logie TuckerMayor of Bo, Southern Sierra Leone
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Adnan ÜnverdiChairperson of the Board, Gaziantep Chamber of Industry
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Carmen VélezHead of Planning and Evaluation Unit, Andalusian Agency for International Development Cooperation
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Carlos Mascarell VilarPolicy Officer Governance and Citizenship, Council of European Municipalities and Regions
PROGRAMME
25-26-27 November 2019
25
Nov, 2019
14:00 – 21:00 |
Early Registration |
14:00 – 17:00 |
Social City Tour I
|
18:00 – 18:30 |
Transfer to Hışvahan |
18:30 – 20:00 |
Welcome Cocktail hosted by UNDP Turkey (for Invited Guests only) |
20:00 – 20:30 |
Transfer to Divan Hotel |
26
Nov, 2019
09:00 – 09:30 |
Registration |
09:30 – 11:45 |
Opening Session Speakers Main HallMaster of Ceremony, Introduction |
11:45 – 12:00 |
Photo Shoot |
12:00 – 13:00 |
Lunch |
13:00 – 13:15 |
Cultural Show, ASAM Al-Farah Children’s Choir |
13:15 – 14:30 |
Mayoral Panel 1: Localization of the SDGs through governance and inclusive planning in response to migration and refugees Panel Details and Speakers Main Hall / Selçuklu / Floor -2 |
14:45 – 16:00 |
Parallel sessions |
Parallel Session 1.1 – Mayors driving job creation, partnerships with the private sector, and sustainable livelihoods Panel Details and Speakers Breakout Room 1 / Osmanlı / Floor -2 |
|
Parallel Session 1.2 – Cities as safe havens: Municipalities ensuring safe and protective environments Panel Details and Speakers Main Hall / Selçuklu / Floor -2 |
|
16:00 – 17:30 |
Mayoral Panel 2: City networks and cooperation: How to replicate and scale up success stories in local responses Panel Details and Speakers Main Hall / Selçuklu / Floor -2 |
17:30 – 18:30 |
Social Tour in GaziantepZeugma Mosaic Museum |
18:30 – 19:00 |
Transfer to Culinary Arts Center |
19:00 – 21:30 |
Gala Dinner hosted by Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality |
21:30 – 22:00 |
Transfer to Hotels |
27
Nov, 2019
09:30 – 11:30 |
Mayoral Panel 3: Governance as a catalyst: linking national-local level governance and the role of small and intermediary cities Panel Details and Speakers Main Hall / Selçuklu / Floor -2 |
11:30 – 13:00 |
Parallel Sessions |
Parallel Session 2.1 – Anchoring success for all: gender equality and youth empowerment Panel Details and Speakers Main Hall / Selçuklu / Floor -2 |
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Parallel Session 2.2 – Ensuring dignity: local authorities fostering access to basic services such as health and education Panel Details and Speakers Breakout Room 2 / Çınar / Floor -1 |
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Parallel Session 2.3 – A vision of sustainable & smart cities, circular urban economies, the role of new technologies and the impact of migration and displacement on environment Panel Details and Speakers Breakout Room 1 / Osmanlı / Floor -2 |
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13:00 – 14:00 |
Lunch |
14:00 – 15:00 |
Closing Ceremony Speakers Main Hall / Selçuklu / Floor -2Signing Ceremony of Gaziantep Declaration |
VENUE

Venue
Divan Hotel Gaziantep
Mücahitler Mh, Sani Konukoğlu Bulvarı
No:92/A 27090 Şehitkamil, Gaziantep Türkiye
+ 90 (342) 999 13 33
