Mayors Advocate for a Stronger Forum within the UN System

The 5th Forum of Mayors (FoM): “Cities shaping the future” convened on 6–7 October 2025 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, gathering representatives from 80 cities, including 50 mayors and deputy mayors from all world regions. This year, the FoM aligned with the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (held annually in July in New York) and addressed the same priority themes: good health and well-being (SDG 3), gender equality (SDG 5), and decent work and economic growth (SDG 8). It also focused on climate finance mechanisms, Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), and housing challenges.

In her opening remarks, Christina Kitsos, Vice-Mayor of Geneva and President of the Global Cities Hub (GCH), reaffirmed her commitment to multilateralism, emphasizing that “the Forum of Mayors connects global ambitions with local realities and highlights the added value of inclusive multilateralism. It reminds us that cities and regions are key players in the implementation of global decisions” She invited States to strengthen their engagement and renew the Forum’s mandate when time comes, underscoring the need for “a space where States, cities, and regions can meet, engage in dialogue, and co-create the solutions of tomorrow.”

Her message resonated with other high-level speakers (former President of Switzerland, Glasgow city leader, representatives from UNECE, ILO, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, and UCLG), who all stressed the importance of multilevel governance and the pivotal role of cities in achieving sustainability, resilience, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Over two days, mayors, States, international organizations, NGOs, academia, and the private sector engaged in six thematic sessions:

• Good health and well-being (SDG 3): Mayors shared experiences on improving public health through transport, green spaces, air quality, and housing. WHO highlighted urban planning as a fundamental public health measure. Several mayors called for devolving competencies and legal authority to enable effective local action. For instance, Nuñoa (Chile) cited challenges in recruiting healthcare staff due to centralized rules, while Lyon (France) reported a 40% reduction in air pollution over six years through expanded cycling lanes, pedestrian zones, and speed limits.
• Gender equality (SDG 5): Cities presented initiatives to foster equality, combat gender-based violence, and enhance women’s participation in politics. UN Women emphasized that dedicated policies, initiatives, and budget allocations are essential for women’s safety and empowerment, their contribution to political and economic life, as well as equitable representation in governance and the workforce. Mannheim (Germany) showcased programs supporting female entrepreneurship and women-led businesses, while Nairobi (Kenya) highlighted its two-thirds gender rule for municipal appointments, as well as initiatives promoting women’s access to sports. Following an impactful “Woman and Mayor” event, women mayors adopted a Declaration reaffirming women’s key role in shaping resilient, inclusive, and sustainable cities and calling for urgent action to ensure women’s empowerment, safety, and equal representation in decision-making.
• Decent work and economic growth (SDG 8): ILO and participating cities underscored local economies as engines of innovation, employment, and inclusive prosperity. Innovation and digital transformation emerged as key drivers of growth. Several mayors underlined the importance of integrating vulnerable groups into the workforce. Øygarden (Norway) illustrated how integrating refugees into healthcare support roles helps them join the workforce and relieves pressure on medical staff. San Mateo Atenco (Mexico) presented its modernization of the local shoemaking industry to ensure decent work and preserve cultural identity.
• Climate finance mechanisms: Participants unanimously called for more funding to flow directly to cities, which are at the forefront of climate action. They stressed the importance of international partnerships, public-private collaboration, and clear legal and financial frameworks for long-term climate investments that also generate jobs. Tallinn (Estonia) described its building renovation challenges requiring more predictable and longer-term funding to scale the projects, while Amman (Jordan) advocated for flexible financing to protect people and infrastructure from climate-related disasters thanks to effective early-warning system.
• Housing challenges: UN-Habitat emphasized the right to adequate housing as a cornerstone for other SDGs, such as health, education, gender equality, economic growth. With a global housing crisis affecting all regions, the role of LRGs is more crucial than ever in shaping effective housing policies. While they often lack the legal, financial, and institutional tools to respond adequately, many of them are implementing creative solutions – from social and cooperative housing models to community-led developments and public-private partnerships – to expand affordable housing, renew old or unsafe buildings, and integrate sustainability and resilience into urban planning. Brussels (Belgium) promotes retrofitting incentives for social housing, while San Miguelito (Panama), one of the densest populated city in Panama, has developed its first-ever urban plan to ensure tenure security, promote social housing, and facilitate youth access to housing credit.
• Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs): Discussions highlighted the political significance of VLRs as instruments that go beyond reporting. Mayors underlined that VLRs serve as concrete commitments, offering a means to showcase local innovations, attract funding and foster transparency with their constituents. Despite limited human and financial resources, fragmented data and insufficient practical guidance, Lusaka (Zambia) and Bursa (Turkey) both completed their first VLRs, aligning municipal strategies with SDGs and strengthening community confidence. As cities take on a more prominent role in international affairs, Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) offer a tangible means for them to contribute to and engage in global governance. In doing so, VLRs promote a more inclusive form of multilateralism, one where cities collaborate alongside States and other stakeholders. Moreover, through VLRs, cities position themselves as strategic allies in shaping the agenda beyond 2030.

Other events:

In the margins of the Forum, the GCH co-organized four events:

• Cooling and Building for Urban Resilience: Local Solutions, Global Impact explored urban cooling and building design strategies amid rising temperatures.
• A High-Level Meeting between Mayors and Heads of International Organizations (UN-Habitat, ITU, UNDRR, UNECE) enabled direct exchanges on housing, urban resilience, digitalization and smart cities.
• VLRs – Crafting the Process: Cities Talk to Each Other examined strategic and political choices in conducting VLRs.
• The Urban Futures Dialogue, hosted by the World Economic Forum, gathered mayors, business leaders, and civil society to explore how cities and the private sector can work hand in hand to accelerate innovation and sustainable urban development.

Outcome:

The Forum concluded with the adoption of recommendations to States, through the UNECE Committee on Urban Development, Housing, and Land Management. These recommendations were negotiated by participating cities and they include key language on all themes discussed and on the development of the FoM itself. Mayors reaffirmed that the Forum serves as an effective UN body for cities to participate in the work of the UN and to effectively advance the localization of SDGs, including by fostering more substantial engagement between mayors and States on the implementation of the SDGs. They also underlined that the FoM be used as a platform to discuss any international framework succeeding Agenda 2030 and that it should be further reinforced and expanded within the UN system. The new FoM Bureau, comprising the Mayors of Heidelberg (Chair), Bristol and Hradec Králové, will have to put forward recommendations in this regard before the next UN Forum of Mayors in 2026.

Conclusion:

The 5th FoM marked a resounding success, demonstrating the growing influence of cities as essential partners in global governance. With mayors from every region sharing practical experiences and innovative solutions, the Forum once again proved its unique value in linking local action to global goals. The GCH, a proud partner since the FoM’s first edition in 2020, remains committed to deepening collaboration with UNECE and all the other UN Regional Economic Commissions to globalize and strengthen the FoM within the UN system. The GCH calls on States to continue supporting this vital platform which embodies the inclusive multilateralism envisioned by UN Secretary-General Guterres as the UN seeks to reimagine itself.