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Read articles on our activities and inclusive multilateralism in International Geneva

4th Forum of Mayors: Side Event Addresses Solutions for the Triple Planetary Crisis

At the margin of the 4th Forum of Mayors, a key side event titled “Solutions for the Triple Planetary Crisis” convened city leaders, UN representatives, and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)  experts to tackle the urgent challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The event underscored the importance of leveraging expertise in …

Mayors and International Organizations: Working together for sustainable and inclusive cities

Following last year’s successful event, the Global Cities Hub brought together Mayors and Deputy Mayors with leaders from UNECE, UNCTAD, UNHCR, and WHO, on the margins of the Fourth Forum of Mayors. The discussion covered critical topics such as refugee inclusion, sustainable urbanization, urban health, and trade development. Each leader underscored the importance of local governments as key partners in making a tangible impact on people’s lives, highlighting the pivotal role cities play in addressing global challenges. City leaders, in turn, expressed their readiness to collaborate with international organizations to tackle these pressing challenges.

GCH highlights cities’ role at ‘Toxics, zero waste and human rights’ event

During the 57th session of the Human Rights Council, at the event titled “Toxics, Zero Waste, Women, and Human Rights,” the Global Cities Hub emphasized the crucial role of local and regional governments in addressing waste management and inclusiveness policies. The Hub advocated for greater cooperation among UN agencies, such as OHCHR and UNEP, to merge human rights mechanisms with environmental expertise. By fostering mixed mandates the UN could address toxins and waste more effectively, ensuring that LRGs can engage more seamlessly in …

Global Digital Compact and the Guidelines on People-Centred Smart Cities

On 10 September 2024 Global Cities Hub contributed to the consultation with LRGs and representatives of city networks to reflect on the Global Digital Compact and opportunities for its implementation by local actors, while leveraging the first International Guidelines on People-Centred Smart Cities. When international regulations are created LRGs should not only be formally consulted on policy, but they need to …

Cities at the core of WIPO’s Global Innovation Cluster Index 2024

Innovation is one of the key forces that drive economic growth and social progress. To monitor it, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) publishes annually the Global Innovation Index (GII), which also identifies the world’s top 100 science and technology (S&T) clusters. Year after year, these happen to be cities.  The next GII will be launched on 26 September but …

City diplomacy in action

The 4th Forum of Mayors – the Cities’ Summit of the Future starts in one month on 30 September 2024. It is worth recalling the excellent analysis of Paola Deda published by the Geneva Policy Outlook earlier this year about the participation of Mayors in the work of …

We should carve out a bigger space for LRGs in global decision-making

In a recently published WEF Agenda Post GCH argues that LRGs can be agile partners with the capacity to respond quickly in times of economic, health or environmental crisis. Their actions can complement and extend the actions of central governments. They can also help deliver key global goals, such as the SDGs or the Paris …