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Multilateralism & Cities in 2025 – What to Expect Webinar Wrap-up and Useful Links

The Global Cities Hub held a webinar with key partner organizations (UNECE, ICLEI, Geneva Environment Network and UN Habitat,) to inform about the upcoming important international gatherings in 2025. This was useful to highlight key multilateral events which address issues of relevance for local and regional governments (LRGs) and where they have a role to play.

Key Multilateral Processes for LRGs in 2025:

  • The 5th UN Forum of Mayors, 6-7 October 2025. The Forum will this year focus on SDG3, 5 and 8 to reflect the High-Level Political Forum on sustainable development in New York. Note that the Forum will also address climate financing, housing challenges and enable mayors to present Voluntary Local Reviews.
  • WHO Pandemic Treaty negotiations, 17-21 February 2025, Geneva. The treaty negotiations should conclude by May 2025, in time for the 78th session of the World Health Assembly
  • UNDRR 8th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, 2-6 June, Geneva. Organized around the theme “Every Day Counts, Act for Resilience Today”, the event will review progress on the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
  • World Summit on the information society (WSIS) & Artificial Intelligence for Good Summit, 7-11 July, Geneva. The WSIS is a multistakeholder UN process on digital governance and cooperation with a vision of fostering people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented information and knowledge societies. The GCH will organize a Smart Cities Leaders’ Talk to be he held a WSIS.
  • The Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing for All, UN-Habitat, dates of the second session tbc, Nairobi.  This WG is expected to review policies, financing models, and regulatory frameworks to improve access to affordable housing. It can support capacity-building efforts for governments and stakeholders in designing and implementing housing strategies.
  • Resumed second session of the UN-Habitat Assembly which will adopt the Smart Cities Guidelines, 29-30 May, Nairobi. See also and for more details the UN Habitat Smart Cities Outlook (https://unhabitat.org/world-smart-cities-outlook-2024)
  • Chemicals & Waste (Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions COPs), 28 April-9 May 2025, Geneva. The seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (BC COP-17) (the one including more possible connections with LRGs), the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention (RC COP-12) and the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP-12) will be held back-to-back in Geneva from 28 April to 9 May 2025.
  • Resumed negotiation session on the Plastics Pollution Treaty, summer 2025, Geneva (tbc). This treaty includes mention of the LRGs – albeit not final, and requires lobbying and continued engagements, hence the creation of the Coalition of Local and Subnational Governments to End Plastic Pollution.
  • Science-Policy Panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollutions, next round of negotiations on 15-18 June, Punta del Este, Uruguay. This negotiation would lead to creation of a new science-policy panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution which is expected to work with LRGs.
  • CoP 30 (UN Climate Conference) – 10-21 November 2025, Belém, Brazil and two related initiatives to follow-up for LRGs:
  • UNEA 7 (UN Environment Assembly), 8-12 December 2025, Nairobi. The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) is the world’s highest-level intergovernmental decision-making body on the environment, bringing together all 193 UN Member States to set global policies, strategies, and actions for environmental sustainability. It holds a Summit of Cities and Regions back-to-back to each of its biannual sessions.
  • Other Geneva Environment Network Highlights. The Geneva Environment Network (GEN), coordinated by UNEP, is a multistakeholder platform that fosters cooperation and knowledge-sharing among Geneva-based and beyond environmental organizations, UN agencies, NGOs, and academic institutions to advance global environmental governance and sustainability. Its website is a fantastic resource on information and analyses of all environment related topics at any moment of time.

These events will be critical for cities and LRGs to engage in international processes, advocate for their priorities, and shape global governance in 2025. Stay tuned for updates and how to get more involved!