Regions4 20th Anniversary
2022 marked the 20th anniversary of Regions4 Sustainable Development, a pioneer network born during the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002.
It also marked the 30th anniversary of the UN Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, as well as the 50th anniversary of the UN Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm in 1972.
Throughout the past 20 years, the Regions4 community has achieved important international recognition, acknowledged at the UN level as a relevant and representative voice for regional governments. We have consolidated a powerful network, based on principles of solidarity and mutual support. Connecting regions from the North and South, Regions4 has proved the relevance of peer-to-peer support and collaboration, and thus how cooperation and political leadership leads to progress.
The ongoing environmental crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine threaten immensely the planetary health and the livelihood of its citizens.
Thus, Regions4’s 20th anniversary is a key opportunity to reconnect regions and gather our community of regional governments to collectively define the pathways to achieve the resilience of 4 billion people by 2030.
20 videos to celebrate 20 years of Regions4!
2022 was a moment to be proud of our joint journey and to celebrate our collective achievements! To this end, we invited our members and partners to share their highlights, the most relevant stories, and experiences of being part of our network!
Check it out:
Representatives of 23 Regional Governments and several associations of Regional Governments met together in Johannesburg in 2002 during the World Summit on Sustainable Development and agreed on a common document named “The Gauteng Declaration”.
Regional Governments such as Sao Paulo, the Basque Country, Rio de Janeiro, Catalunya, Flanders are among these pioneers’ reg regions that would later establish Regions4 (former nrg4SD).
Over the past 20 years, Regions4 has grown from its advocacy work to its ability to mobilize resources and implement solutions on the ground.
Today, Regions4 brings together a global community of over 200 regional governments from Africa, America, Asia, and Europe.
Check the video below to learn about our main actions since 2002:
Quote from the Presidency
The Basque Country has been an active Regions4 member since the drafting and adoption of the Gauteng declaration in Johannesburg.
We are proud and honored to have Ms. Arantxa Tapia, Minister for Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment of the Basque Country, as Regions4 President.
“We celebrate 20 years of Regions4 and its journey to bring together a global community of around 200 regional governments to work collectively on solutions to global crises. Our advocacy, cooperation, action in our territories and co-responsibility are the basis of a leading and ambitious global governance, with solidarity and sustainable development at the core."
