Contributions by HIC President, Prof Adriana Allen to United Cities and Local Governments’ (UCLG) #BeyondTheOutbreak Live Learning Experience virtual sessions
Launched jointly by United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Metropolis, and UNHabitat on March 25th, 2020, the #BeyondTheOutbreak Live Learning Experience virtual sessions aim to bring together Local and Regional Governments, their associations, and partner organisations to allow and promote meaningful exchange as they find themselves confronting the COVID-19 crisis while maintaining an orderly functioning of public services.
Following an initial consultation held during the launching session, the eighth thematic Live Learning Experience, held on Wednesday 29 April in collaboration with Cities Alliance, explored how local and regional governments were addressing the COVID-19 crisis and its relationship with contexts of informality. Over 200 participants joined the session.
A number of key findings emerged throughout the sessions, all of which furthered the central argument that local and regional governments play and will continue to play a critical role in addressing informalities during and beyond the current COVID-19 pandemic. A briefing & learning note published by UCLG details some of the findings generated.
In contributing to the discussion around the issue of protecting women and informal workers in the informal economy, Adriana Allen made the point that we must work hard to ensure that people living and working in informal contexts actively participate in society. The discussion highlighted the importance that informal workers play in society.