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Read articles on our activities and inclusive multilateralism in International Geneva

Empowering Mayors to lead change on road safety, climate change and urban health.

On 19 February 2025, the Global Cities Hub (GCH) had the honour of opening a high-level Mayor’s Panel at the 4th WHO Global Ministerial Road Safety Conference, alongside city leaders from Paris, New York, Marrakech, and Guayaquil. With over 100 ministers from around the world in attendance and UN high-level officials like Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (WHO Director General), Jean Todt (UN Special Envoy for Road Safety) and Tatiana Molcean (UNECE Executive Secretary), it was remarkable to see an international conference dedicate one of its plenary sessions specifically to cities and mayors—a testament to their central role in shaping global policy.

Localizing financing for sustainable climate-responsive development

5 years from the deadline of Agenda2030 it is crystal clear that attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require the unlocking of local solutions, especially regarding climate-related efforts. In 2025 we will hear a lot about financing, including ‘Financing for Development’, ‘climate financing’ and ‘localization of financing’. Find GCH’s policy paper “Strengthening confidence in …

Financing for Development needs to happen at all levels

On 10-14 February 2025, the Third Session of the Preparatory Committee for the Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) takes place in New York. GCH has sent its observations and recommendations to the committee based on its position that Local and Regional governments (LRGs) have a fair view of the development needs being the closest level of governance to the population. Better representation of their voice in global economic governance, policy development and decision-making would help deliver more effective institutions with bigger impact on the ground.

This is why cities and regions should invest in UN humanitarian pooled funds

On 7 February, the GCH and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) co-hosted a webinar on “International Humanitarian Action and the Role of Local and Regional Authorities”. The objective of the event was for cities and regions to get to know OCHA, its role within the UN humanitarian system and …

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 …

GCH reports on its pledges at P2C Digital Coalition Annual Meeting 

On 30 January 2025, at the Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition Annual Meeting, the we assessed the pledges made in previous editions : raise awareness among Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) about the important role they can play to increase meaningful connectivity in cities and leave no one behind. The P2C community is a unique multistakeholder collaboration network …

Global Cities Hub Celebrates 25 Years of Environmental Collaboration in Geneva

The Global Cities Hub (GCH) was privileged to contribute to the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Geneva Environment Network (GEN) at the beginning of this week (20 January). With over 600 participants, including many eager to collaborate with cities, the event underscored Geneva’s role as a major player in global environmental action. During the …

New Strategic Framework to guide GCH’s work for 2025-2028 

As we embark on a new year, a new strategic framework will guide the GCH’s work over the next 4 years, through 2028. This document provides our partners with a clear blueprint about GCH’s vision, mission and values, along with its objectives and how to achieve them. Celebrating its 5th Anniversary in March, the GCH envisages …

UN Forum of Mayors to take place on 6-7 October 2025

The GCH team, official partner of the UN Forum of Mayors (FoM), is  happy to confirm that UNECE Member states have adopted the new Terms of Reference (ToRs) for the UN FoM, which confirm for its fifth edition the truly global nature of the Forum. The 2025 UN FoM will be set up as a …