The power of city diplomacy
On 13 December 2024, the GCH was honored to participate in a thought-provoking event on the power of city diplomacy, organized by the Office of international relations of the Diputació de Barcelona.
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Read articles on our activities and inclusive multilateralism in International Geneva 
GCH and ITU sign agreement to strengthen cooperation
On 12 December 2024, Global Cities Hub and International Telecommunication Union signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize and pursue their successful cooperation. The purpose of this MoU is to contribute to advancing the participation and engagement of Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) in multilateralism, especially in digitalization, smart cities and AI governance and all …
Local actors in the waste management chain recreate wealth from waste
On 11 December 2024, UN Trade and Development, UN Habitat and GCH co-organized the webinar “Enhancing Local-global dialogue for Sustainable Water and Solid Waste Management in Urban Areas: implications for trade and cities development”. As the speakers explained…
The future of multilateralism is not what it used to be
On 6 December 2024 GCH organized its Annual Retreat. This truly multi-stakeholder meeting offered a ‘safe space’ for an open-minded discussion among cities and regions’ representatives, their networks, States and international organizations. It contributed to a mutual understanding of what multilateralism could look like in the future and how to strengthen the work of the UN and other international organizations in Geneva and beyond.
The Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) respond to the outcomes of COP29
Discover highlights for cities and regions as reflected in the official press release of COP29. LGMA constituency stands ready to work on the implementation of the financial deal, noting that multi-level action remains key. “COP29 outcomes are a clear demonstration that global commitments and solidarity for climate action is one of the immediate and biggest victims of the …
Strengthening investors’ confidence in urban climate finance
The SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance and the Penn Institute for Urban Research have recently published their report “The Green Cities Guarantee Fund: unlocking access to urban climate finance”. The Commission also presented the proposed Green Cities Guarantee Fund (GCGF) at U20 in Rio de Janeiro. Global Cities Hub co-director Kemileva is an SDSN commissioner and GCH considers climate financing as a key issue for LRGs.
Local and Subnational Governments’ Coalition to End Plastic Pollution: An Open Letter to the Chair of the Negotiations for the Plastic Pollution Treaty
Today, during a dedicated event hosted by the Geneva Environment Network, the Local and Subnational Governments’ Coalition to End Plastic Pollution reaffirmed its commitment to supporting a strong Plastic Pollution Treaty. The Coalition introduced an open letter and draft langage addressed to the Chair of the negotiations (INC5) mentionning that the treaty presents a crucial opportunity for the …
Trust cities, partner with cities, and invest in cities
The 12th World Urban Forum (WUF12), organized by UN-Habitat in Cairo from November 4-8, brought together a record-breaking 24,000 participants from 182 countries, making it one of the United Nations’ largest gatherings, second only to climate COPs. With the theme “It All Starts at Home,” the event highlighted the need for cities to …
Empowering Local and Regional Governments in Human Rights: The Role of AI and Technology
The Global Cities Hub animated a debate, during the annual conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform, held on 5 November 2024, when over 100 participants, including diplomats, representatives from international organizations, academia, and experts, gathered to explore the intersection of human rights and technological advancement.
Localizing humanitarian action: the essential role of local governments
At the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, little was said about local and regional governments (LRGs), who are frontline responders to the humanitarian consequences of armed conflicts, violence, natural and technological disasters, climate change, mass migration flows, pandemics, etc.