Tehran mayor elected UCLG-MEWA president

Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was elected as president of the Middle East and West Asia (MEWA) section of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) in a ceremony here in Tehran on Wednesday.During the ceremony in Tehran's Milad Tower today, members of the UCLG-MEWA elected Tehran mayor as their president with absolute majority and after a proposal by Gaza Mayor and former UCLG-MEWA President Maged Abu Ramadan.As one of the eight regional sections of the UCLG World Organization, UCLG-MEWA is headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey.International Union of Local Authorities, Section for the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Region (IULA-EMME), as the predecessor of UCLG-MEWA, was established in Turkey in 1987 as one of the regional sections of International Union of Local Authorities (IULA). IULA-EMME has been transformed into UCLG-MEWA in 2004, in parallel with the creation and restructuring of the UCLG World Organization.Since its establishment, UCLG-MEWA continues its activities for cities and local governments in the region, from its headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey, serving the main principles of democracy, human rights, local self-government, international solidarity, accountability and transparency, and sustainable development.