[3] CLGF was founded in 1995 and its establishment was endorsed by Commonwealth Heads of Government at their meeting in New Zealand later that year.
CLGF is a member of the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments along with other global local government organisations including UCLG, UNACLA, ICLEI, IAFM, ATO, and C40[4] and is also a member of Cities Alliance.
[6] The CLGF secretariat is housed in the Commonwealth hub[7] on Pall Mall, London and has regional offices in the Caribbean, West Africa, Southern Africa, South Asia and the Pacific, and country programme offices in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
CLGF patrons include former UNDP Administrator and New Zealand Prime Minister Rt Hon.
CLGF organised pan-Commonwealth biennial conference bringing together is members and partners Four conferences were held 2011-17: In November 2017 in Valletta, Malta on the theme of 'Fit for the future: resources and capacity for effective local government'.