The biannual conference will take place from 11 to 14 June 2019 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo. At the reception, the CLGF jointly with the Ministry and the Federation of Sri Lankan Local Government Authorities (FSLGA) announced the theme of the next Commonwealth Local Government Conference - CLGC2019: "Citizen centered local government: driving inclusive social and economic change".

Describing the conference as a flagship event CLGF Secretary-General Dr Greg Munro said that it will focus on strategies to enable local government to work more closely with citizens to drive the social and economic change required to underpin the work to build the communities that people want.

"This is the first time our conference will be held in Asia and we are very excited. CLGF conferences result in practical policy recommendations for implementation by our many members throughout the Commonwealth. Local Government plays a major role in facilitating the necessary social cohesion and inclusive growth to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. CLGC2019 will look at ways to ensure that citizens� views are part of the decision making."

The Conference - CLGC2019 - will be attended by over 600 senior policy makers from around the Commonwealth including local and national governments, regional local government associations, research pioneers and academics, civil society and the private sector. It will take the form of keynote speeches and plenary sessions, working groups and study visits with a rich cultural program. There will be an opportunity to learn and share about success and innovation from Commonwealth countries, including showcasing good practice from Sri Lanka. In addition, the outcomes will be presented to the 2020 CHOGM in Rwanda.