Multilateral city diplomacy event at the World Urban Forum
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Description
Multilateral city diplomacy event at the World Urban Forum
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On 7 November 2024 GCH organizes the “Multilateral city diplomacy in crisis situations: improving multilevel governance” discussion in cooperation with CUF and UCLG. The World Urban Forum (WUF) holds a pivotal role in inspiring multilateral fora to integrate LRGs into forward-thinking global decision-making processes. In the new definition of international relations, city networks and the actions of elected local officials are essential. City diplomacy, which serves as leverage in international policies, must be recognized and integrated, not as a simple relay for centralized strategies, but as a way of adjustment and management of cooperation policies. From the post-war twinnings to current cooperation, it appears imperative to establish an efficient global governance system rooted in inclusive multilateralism. Cities are thus places where conflicts emerge, particularly in the case of civil wars, and in contexts of weakening of the state institution. At the same time cities remain spaces of refuge for displaced populations, that might fuel an anarchic growth in peri-urban areas, precarious housing and camps, and gives rise to specific management issues. New conflicts have arisen in recent years, plunging Europe and the Middle East into a new situation of tension and lasting war. Local governments have the responsibility to find solutions for developing collective strategies for the security, dignity and humanity of all citizens. Urban planning is recognized as being crucial for the integration of displaced populations into development strategies. Multilateral city-diplomacy should embrace impactful interaction with intergovernmental organizations and follow a whole-of-governance approach where the different levels complement and strengthen each other.
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Date: 7 November 2024
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🗣 Speakers
- Clare Hart, Vice-President of Montpellier Metropole
- Pascal Rapillard, Director of External Relations of Geneva, GCH board member
- Graham Alabaster, Chief of UN-Habitat Geneva Office
- Thamara Monteiro De Arruda Fortes, Lead UN4UkrainianCities, UNECE
- Dorothee Schmidt, French International Institute for International Relations
- Simoné Giovetti, International Advocacy Officer, Cités Unies France
- Andras Szorenyi, Senior Policy Advisor, Global Cities Hub
Discussion topics
- How can LRGs participate in international agenda-setting, particularly, humanitarian issues and crisis management, for better implementation?
- How peer-to-peer exchange of knowledge and expertise on crisis management can help to overcome specific challenges local governments face in complex crises situations?
- How initiatives such as the UN4UkrainianCities assist cities in their post-conflict reconstruction efforts, and how international organizations engage with local and regional governments in peace time, for example at the Forum of Mayors?
- How do local authorities cope with crisis contexts and what are the survival mechanisms of populations in cities affected by conflicts? How are “target cities” and “refuge cities” forced to reorganize in the face of war?
Registration
To attend this event register to the Voices from Cities event here.
Organizers
