The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) participated in the Global Roundtable on the Future of Decentralization and Multilevel Governance, held in February 2026 at New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, as part of its work under the Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Coalition. Convened by the Local Public Sector Alliance with a range of global partners, the roundtable brought together policymakers, city leaders, researchers, and international organisations to examine how decentralisation and multilevel governance systems must evolve in response to rapid urbanisation, fiscal pressures and increasing climate risks.
As part of the programme, CLGF designed and facilitated a panel on multilevel governance and cities, using climate resilience as a lens to explore how governance systems shape urban outcomes in practice. The discussion highlighted how cities’ ability to respond to climate pressures and urbanisation depends heavily on whether responsibilities, resources and incentives are aligned across levels of government.
Participants also stressed that urban finance constraints are often structural rather than technical. Borrowing rules, intergovernmental transfers and revenue authority are frequently controlled at national or state level, limiting what cities can deliver. The session reinforced the importance of addressing the governance dimensions of urban finance and informed CLGF’s ongoing work through the CSCC Urban Finance Action Group to support more resilient, inclusive, and effectively financed urban development across the Commonwealth.
