Arnau Gutiérrez Camps

It is with profound sorrow that the UCLG World Secretariat shares the passing of our dear colleague, Sara Hoeflich, Assistant Secretary General and long-standing Director of Learning. Over the past months, Sara faced an incurable illness with remarkable grace and serenity that took her from us far too soon. Sara illuminated our movement with her creativity, generosity, and unwavering belief in humanity’s capacity to learn, to care, and to build a better present and future together. She joined the municipal movement in the early 2000s after a distinguished career in international development that had connected her with communities across continents. Wherever she went, she brought curiosity, compassion, and an extraordinary ability to bring people together. Messages have been pouring in from all over the world, carrying gratitude for Sara in the many roles she played for each of you and for all of us. We cherish each of those memories as their faithful custodians. We make them our own, and they will become part of her legacy. We will continue to love her by carrying the values she embodied. We will honor her work and her unwavering dedication by continuing to learn through collaboration, by nurturing peer-to-peer exchange and mutual learning, and, above all, by never losing faith that together we can make the world a better place. Her beloved family has kindly allowed us to share this beautiful photograph, which captures the extraordinary light she brought into every room and every life she touched. Today, the World Secretariat and the entire UCLG movement mourn the loss of a remarkable colleague, mentor, and friend. In the days and years ahead, we will continue to celebrate Sara’s life by strengthening cooperation, advancing learning, and fostering solidarity. In doing so, her light will continue to guide us.