Bringing forward the cultural development on the international agenda. This is the key ambition of the Culture Goal aiming at the full integration of culture in the UN sustainable development frameworks. How to enhance local engagement for the Culture Goal with a specific focus on Capitals of Culture initiatives on four continents (Africa, Asia, Central and Southern America, Europe)? This was the research question I tackled in a recent report for the UCLG Culture Committee. Culture is at the heart of local development able to generate the glue for societies and creating the commons for which we aim at engaging. However, so far, culture as such is absent in the UN frameworks for sustainable development. The current debates for a follow-up for the Sustainable Development Goals provide momentum to go a step further. A global Culture Goal would generate an international reference backed with harmonised indicators and a potential for further culture (policy) platforms. Capitals of Culture aim at very similar objectives than the Culture Goal: to demonstrate how culture is beneficial for local development, to connect all strata of populations, to bring forward cultural rights but also social and economic objectives as well as sustainable urban / urban-rural development. All these dimensions are covered by the proposed Culture Goal, but challenges prevail on governance, communication as well as related to access to finance and access to know-how. In my report, I provide a concrete action plan related to a strategic cooperation between the current Culture Goal community enriched with the great many stakeholders from the Capitals of Culture. With strategic alliances, dissemination partnerships and common pilot actions a movement for the Culture Goal and at the same time for local culture development can be created. If you wish to engage, don’t hesitate to reach out! And special thanks to the UCLG Culture Team for the excellent cooperation!