How cities can influence the global agenda in 2026

On 22 January 2026, the Global Cities Hub hosted, in cooperation with the UNECE, a webinar introducing the key multilateral events and processes open to local and regional governments (LRGs) in 2026. The event was the launch of the “UN Forum of Mayors Information Series”, which aims to better inform and engage members of the UN Forum of Mayors Alumni network.

Speakers from major UN bodies (UNECE, ITU, UNEP, UN-Habitat) agreed that multilateralism works best when it is multi-level, practical, and inclusive. Across all interventions, one word consistently emerged: localization – of the SDGs, of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and climate action, of AI and digital transformation.

The 6^th UN Forum of Mayors

Tea Aulavuo, Head of Cities Unit at the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), presented the 6^th UN Forum of Mayors.

• It will take place 12–13 October 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland, in person only.
• It is the only official UN platform where mayors participate in their own capacity, negotiate outcome documents, and directly influence UN decision-making.
• The Forum focuses on local implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals that are discussed by Member States at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), held in New York on 6-15 July 2026.
  • This year, a particular focus will be on SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)
  • Other SDGs discussed are SDG6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).
• Core themes include environmental impact reduction, sustainable mobility, housing, disaster risk reduction, inclusive urban planning, cultural and natural heritage, accessibility for persons with disabilities, and innovative/creative cities.
• A session led by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will showcase how cities are at the forefront of innovation.
• The Forum will conclude with an outcome document adopted by mayors, with consultations held in advance to ensure broad ownership.
• Numerous side events are planned (e.g. women mayors, disability, voluntary local reviews, disasters, urban fires), plus networking activities and a reception.

The selection of speaker mayors is underway through UN regional commissions. Other mayors and deputy-mayors are invited to express their interest in participating through a dedicated online form on the website of the Global Cities Hub.

Smart cities, AI and digitalization

Cristina Bueti, Focal Point on Smart Sustainable Cities and AI-powered Virtual Worlds at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), presented key UN-led digital and smart city initiatives and events.

• UN Virtual Worlds Day – 11 May 2026 (Geneva, Switzerland). It focuses on artificial intelligence, virtual worlds, and cities, with strong engagement from local and regional governments. This event will be followed by the Second Citiverse Assembly (12 May 2026 – Geneva), focusing on strengthening global collaboration on the citiverse.
• AI for Good Global Summit & World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) – 6-11 July (Geneva, Switzerland).
  • AI for Good is the UN leading platform to leverage the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to drive progress toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • WSIS is the UN platform for digital development and SDG follow-up.
    Cities and mayors are actively involved, including in cooperation with the Global Cities Hub, which organizes the event “Smart City Leaders’ Talk” (check out last year’s SCLT).
  • A dedicated workshop on 8 July will focus on AI-related city applications.

Mayors and deputy-mayors are invited to express their interest in participating in the Smart City Leaders’ Talk through a dedicated form.

• United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) Initiative. A global UN collaboration, supported by more than 20 UN entities, 2026 marks 10 years since its establishment. U4SSC supports cities on AI, digital transformation, data platforms, foresight, and sustainability, and is open to all cities.
• Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds and AI. Launched by ITU with Digital Dubai and UNICC, this initiative provides cities with a collaborative platform to help shape virtual worlds and digital urban environments.

Environment and climate

Gulnara Roll, Head of the Cities Unit at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) outlined the major multilateral environmental processes relevant to cities in 2026.

Following the 7th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), 2026 marks a shift from norm-setting to delivery and implementation at local and subnational level. In December 2025, the Cities and Regions Summit at UNEA-7 featured strong city participation (900+ online, 100 in person).

• “Triple COP Year” – UNEP encourages city participation and learning:
  • UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP17 – 17-28 August 2026 (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia).
  • Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP17 – 19-30 October 2026 (Yerevan, Armenia)
  • UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP31 – 9-20 November 2026 (Antalya, Türkiye). A highly relevant meeting for cities and regions, as topics include sustainable building, cooling, extreme heat, and emissions reduction.
• The Plastic Pollution Treaty Negotiations (INC-5.3) – 7 February 2026 (Geneva, Switzerland); and probable continuation of the negotiation later in the year.
• The Sustainable Buildings and Construction Summit – 20–22 April (Lausanne, Switzerland). It includes city-focused sessions on urban planning and affordable housing.
• UN Water Conference – 2-4 December 2026 (United Arab Emirates)
• The Tracker of Subnational Engagement in Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), developed with the Institute for Housing Studies will be launched at the World Urban Forum (WUF) in May. It assesses how cities and regions engage across environmental conventions (climate, biodiversity, etc.).
• The Local2030 initiative, led by UNEP with 13 other UN agencies, will focus in 2026 on developing bankable urban project pipelines in cities. A meeting of the heads of the organizations will be held in February in Bilbao, Spain.
• UNEP is advancing city-level implementation in key sectors, including sustainable construction (including with the Global Status Report on Buildings, the new edition to be launched at WUF), cooling (including with the Global Cooling Watch), food waste and urban planning and affordable housing.

The Global Cities Hub underlined its continued collaboration with UNEP to translate global agreements in local actions. Particularly, the GCH highlighted a new joint effort to “localize” Multilateral Environmental Agreements to make them more accessible, practical, and relevant for cities and citizens.

World Urban Forum and New Urban Agenda

Graham Alabaster, chief of the UN-Habitat Geneva Office, presented three major urban multilateral processes for 2026.

• World Urban Forum (WUF) – 17–22 May 2026 (Baku, Azerbaijan)
  • A global platform for dialogue, solutions and partnerships around the theme “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities”
  • Led by UN-Habitat and hosted by the Government of Azerbaijan
  • 4 core objectives:
    • Elevate the global housing crisis as a top policy priority
    • Showcase practical solutions and best practices
    • Foster cross-sector partnerships
    • Deliver clear outcomes, including the Baku Call to Action, summarizing key policy messages, feeding into the UN-Habitat Assembly process
  • Around 300 partner-organized events, making WUF largely driven by urban actors themselves
  • UN-Habitat organizes ministerial meetings, thematic dialogues, special sessions, assemblies and roundtables
  • Includes a major Urban Expo to showcase innovative urban solutions and serve as a networking and debate space
  • Preceded by an online Consultation of Local & Regional Governments toward #WUF13 – 4 February 2026 @ 13:00-14:00 EAT
• Innovate4Cities Conference – 21-24 June 2026 (Nairobi, Kenya)

The 2026 Innovate4Cities Conference (I4C26) is the fourth global convening that brings together local, regional and national governments, academia, civil society, and industry to provide an evidence base that can be used to deliver city climate action. I4C26 supports the climate action ambition of thousands of cities around the world, the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities (SRCities), Sustainable Urban Resilience for the Next Generation (SURGe) and the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP). Key themes:

• Multi-level governance and partnerships
• Housing and infrastructure
• Digitalization and AI
• Justice and equity
• Finance and implementation

Open call for cities: you can still propose sessions.

• High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the New Urban Agenda – 16-17 July 2026
  • A major UN General Assembly review of the New Urban Agenda.
  • Preparatory process underway, including:
    • Reports to the UN Secretary-General
    • An extended analytical report later in the year
    • World Urban Forum feeds directly into this process
  • Cities and stakeholders will have multiple opportunities to contribute to reports and consultations ahead of the meeting.

Cities, partners, and stakeholders are encouraged to engage early, submit inputs, and participate actively throughout 2026.

Human rights and migration

• International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) – 5-8 May 2026 (New York, United States of America)
  • Four-year review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
  • Key opportunity for cities and regions:
    • The UN General Assembly President promotes a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
    • Cities working on migration should engage their central governments (including to join national delegations), or liaise with networks such as the Mayor’s Migration Council or the Local Coalition for Migrants and Refugees.

The Global Cities Hub is working with partners to encourage cities to adopt and implement the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) at local level. While the movement began in the US in the 1980s, the aim is now to scale it globally through cities.

Other engagement opportunities in 2026

• Cities and Regions as Emerging Donors

A new initiative responding to growing funding constraints in multilateral systems. It focuses on cities and regions acting as direct donors to international organizations. It aims to build a community of donor cities and regions to exchange strategies and priorities and strengthen collective learning and influence.

• Quality of Life Initiative

A collaborative initiative that supports cities to measure quality of life using multiple indicators to assess readiness, service delivery, and institutional capacity. The Initiative effectively links local, national and international level as it is State-initiated, administered by UN-Habitat and implementation is city-led.

Why should local and regional governments engage?

Local and regional governments should engage internationally in 2026 because

• Multilateral agreements (Paris Agreement, Global Cooling Pledge, Call for Action on Sustainable Housing, etc.) translate into very concrete local projects.

• Certain UN events, such as the ITU’s WSIS, allow cities to directly influence global processes. LRGs benefit by learning from other cities, build capacity and access international standard-setting.

• The UN Forum of Mayors is formally embedded in the UN system as a subsidiary body and enables mayors to feed priorities directly into intergovernmental negotiations.

Watch the recording of the event