- Dr. Neila Akrimi is a Dutch-Tunisian international governance expert, lawyer, diplomat, and senior executive with more than 25 years of experience in local governance, public-sector leadership, institutional reform, and international development. She holds a PhD in International Law and has designed and managed major international programmes and multi-million-euro portfolios across the globe. She currently chairs the UCLG Capacity and Institution Building Working Group, bringing together local government associations and international partners to strengthen local leadership, institutional capacity, and decentralised cooperation worldwide. She also serves as Head of Strategies and Networks at VNG International and as Director General of the International Center for Innovative Local Governance (CILG), which supports governments, local authorities, and institutional partners across the Arab region and Africa. Throughout her career, Dr. Akrimi has advised ministers, mayors, governors, senior public officials, municipalities, and local government associations on decentralisation, territorial governance, institutional development, leadership, and public-sector reform. Her work combines high-level strategic advice with the practical design and implementation of governance reforms, executive leadership programmes, peer-learning initiatives, and institutional capacity-development processes. Her international engagement extends across advisory boards, expert groups, and global platforms, connecting local governance practice with international policy and cooperation. Dr. Akrimi is the initiator of the What Works Approach for Local Governance, which brings together evidence, international experience, and local realities to develop practical solutions for cities and public institutions. She is also Founder and Chair of the Innovative Urban Diplomacy Initiative, which advances new thinking and partnerships around urban diplomacy, city-to-city cooperation, and the growing international role of local governments. A recognised bridge-builder between cities and regions, Dr. Akrimi has initiated major international platforms focusing on urban diplomacy and women’s leadership. These platforms have brought together mayors, governments, international organisations, city networks, and experts to advance cooperation across political, institutional, and cultural boundaries. Her publication, Changing the Face of Local Leadership, remains an important resource for gender-transformative urban policy and is used by practitioners and institutions worldwide. She is a regular keynote speaker, moderator, and contributor to leading international forums. Dr. Akrimi is the author of CityCraft: The Art and Action of City Leadership in 6 Cs, which presents a practical leadership framework built around Clarity, Care, Coalition, Courage, Conscience, and Craftsmanship. Her work is driven by the conviction that capable local leadership and stronger international cooperation between cities are essential to addressing today’s most complex global challenges.
