The South African Government, through the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), South African Cities Network (SACN), eThekwini Municipality and the Department of Environmental Affairs partnered with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability to host the Durban Local Government Convention.

ICLEI has acted as the focal point of the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) constituency to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since 1995 and has led the Local Government Climate Roadmap process since 2007. The SA Department of Environmental Affairs, leader of the South African Government delegation to the UNFCCC, and its local government partners recognized the need to mobilise local governments to participate in the UN climate talks.

The Convention was strategically timed to take place during the UNFCCC climate talks (COP17/CMP7) held in Durban, South Africa. Building on the recognition of local governments as the governmental stakeholders in the Cancun Agreements, local governments and their associations came together to further the outcomes of the Resilient Cities 2011 congress, focusing on understanding and improving the profile of adaptation as a critical tool in achieving local developmental and sustainability objectives.