For World Water Day, the Global Cities Hub and UN-Habitat organized a Geneva Urban Debate to exchange practical experiences and reflect on global water governance. As cities continue to confront mounting water challenges, the debate underscored that solutions already exist, but their success hinges on political will, inclusive governance, and sustained investment.
UNEP’s recently published UNEA-7 Cities and Regions Summit Report highlights key messages from mayors and governors as well as State representatives, heads of IOs and NGOs, including the GCH. Speakers underlined that empowering cities and regions is essential to advancing sustainable solutions and turning global commitments into reality.
The GCH had the pleasure of welcoming a cohort of young civil servants of the municipal administration of The Hague. The exchange focused on International Geneva, city diplomacy, and the importance for cities to engage with multilateral processes. Addressing today’s global challenges requires both effective international frameworks and local implementation.
For the past 6 years, the GCH has tirelessly advocated for local and regional governments in international multilateral discussions, connecting global challenges and local solutions. Together, we can make multilateralism more effective!
GCH’s “Davos 2026 Debrief” shared the most relevant outcomes of World Economic Forum Annual Meeting and explained how they translate into local policy and action. WEF brought together diverse stakeholders under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue”. It focused on rebuilding trust, cooperation and dialogue – without hiding sometimes antagonistic views.
We are calling all proactive, alert and agile cities and regions: join the UN Virtual Worlds Day on 11 May 2026. Share with us your city’s innovative project on the application of AI and digital twins to build resilience across critical sectors. If selected, you will be invited to present your city’s activities to the international community.
The Global Cities Hub as part of the Local and Subnational Government Coalition to End Plastic Pollution assisted to the 3rd Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on the Plastic Pollution treaty. Our Coalition stands ready to work with all delegations to deliver an ambitious and effective treaty to end plastic pollution.
The Global Cities Hub took part in the first briefing convened by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to prepare for the 2026 International Migration Review Forum (IMRF). The GCH intervened to call for space for LRGs to participate and contribute. Migration is a cross-cutting issue managed at all levels of government!
The United Nations’ most recent scientific body, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP-CWP), opened on Monday, 2 February 2026 in Geneva. The Global Cities Hub will encourage the effective involvement of local and regional governments in the work of the ISP-CWP.
The Global Cities Hub and UNECE hosted the first “UN Forum of Mayors Information Series”. Speakers from UNECE, ITU, UNEP, and UN-Habitat introduced some of the most important multilateral meetings and negotiations in 2026. Across all interventions, one word consistently emerged: localization.
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