At the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York, the GCH moderated an event on “Scaling affordable and sustainable housing in a rapidly urbanizing world.” A key message emerging from the discussion was that expanding the housing supply inevitably involves difficult trade-offs around climate, land use, and liveable neighbourhoods.
At the AI for Good Global Summit 2026, the GCH co-hosted this high-level session bringing together local and regional leaders, international organizations, governments, academia, and the private sector to explore how emerging artificial intelligence technologies can support building resilient, inclusive, and people-centred cities.
At the WSIS Forum 2026, GCH organized the High-Level Dialogue: Mayors – Localizing the Twin Transition. The session brought together local and regional leaders, international organizations, and experts to discuss how the twin transition can be translated from global policy ambitions into practical pathways that reflect local realities.
The 1st session of the United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance opened on 6 July 2026 in Geneva. The Global Dialogue aims to provide a platform for exchanging experiences, perspectives, and ongoing initiatives related to AI governance and to advance global discussions on the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence.
At the UN Human Rights Council side event on peaceful protest, the GCH argued that the recognition of the role of local and regional governments (LRGs) needs strengthening. As LRGs make practical decisions on crowd management, public safety, and policing, GCH proposed the creation of a concise guide for officials to ensure human rights-compliant protest management.
Today, the Global Cities Hub (GCH) and the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) signed a new Memorandum of Understanding, reaffirming a partnership driven by a shared conviction: cities and local and regional governments have a vital role to play in addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity.
The GCH co-organised, together with the Geneva Human Rights Hub and partners, an event marking the 20th of the UN Human Rights Council. The event highlighted that participation is not an end in itself. Does broader engagement help the HRC achieve greater impact through stronger implementation, more effective follow-up and better prevention of human rights violations?
The Global Cities Hub (GCH) organized two discussions and launched its new policy paper on artificial intelligence (AI) and the citiverse. Cities are entering a new digital phase driven by AI and immersive digital environments. How can they address these challenges? How can they prepare for the transformation that these new technologies unlock?
How can cities make their voices heard in global governance and work together to tackle increasingly complex challenges? One answer is international city networks. The Mayors for Digital Cooperation (MDC) is a new global network aimed at strengthening the role of cities in digital governance and localizing the implementation of international digital commitments.
At a historic Urban7 meeting in Nancy, mayors delivered a strong political message to G7 leaders ahead of the Évian Summit: empowering cities leads to more effective, inclusive and accountable public action, particularly in times of crisis and rapid transformation. U7 members called on G7 leaders to institutionalise dialogue with cities and local governments.
| Cookie | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
| viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |
