{"id":20248,"date":"2024-08-05T02:35:54","date_gmt":"2024-08-05T00:35:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalcitieshub.org\/?page_id=20248"},"modified":"2026-01-09T15:59:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T14:59:30","slug":"topics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/globalcitieshub.org\/en\/topics\/","title":{"rendered":"Topics"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Global challenges are too numerous and significant to be managed by States alone. Because cities and regions make essential contributions to action on climate change, environmental protection, risks to health, human rights, migration, and smart city development, they should participate in international discussions and negotiation of such issues. The GCH supports cities\u2019 efforts to make the multilateral environment more inclusive.<\/p>

Through knowledge exchange and joint action, in collaboration with States, international organizations and other relevant stakeholders, local and regional governments and their networks aim to create more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban environments for everyone.<\/p>

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SMART CITIES<\/a><\/h2>

A \u2018smart city\u2019 applies technologies (artificial intelligence, the internet of things, etc.) to make citizens\u2019 lives more sustainable, resilient, adaptive, and happy. It does so by building an ecosystem of objects and services that meet citizens\u2019 needs in ways that respect human rights, improve public services, promote civic participation and enhance urban resilience. Success requires cooperation between local and regional governments, States, international organizations and other relevant stakeholders. For this reason, it is vital to include local and regional governments in multilateral discussions of smart cities led for example by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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URBAN HEALTH<\/a><\/h2>

Urbanization has positive and negative impacts on health. Many citizens suffer from inadequate housing and transport, poor sanitation and waste management, air pollution, and imperfect access to healthy food and green spaces. At the same time, city governments are in a position to transform living conditions in cities by providing sanitation, clean air and water, public housing, education, and other services. For this reason, it is vital to include local and regional governments in global processes and initiatives that address health, the environment, climate change, energy and housing. Many of these are led by the World Health Organization (WHO).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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HUMAN RIGHTS<\/a><\/h2>

States are primarily responsible for protecting and respecting human rights, but local and regional governments take numerous decisions and run many services that directly promote or harm fulfilment of human rights, notably economic, social and cultural rights. It is therefore vital to enable local and regional governments to participate in the UN Human Rights Council and other international human rights fora, and work with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to address urban human rights concerns.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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ENVIRONMENT \u2013 CLIMATE\u00a0<\/a><\/h2>

Urban areas are often at the forefront of environmental and climate issues because they have large and concentrated populations, are centres of industry and consumption, and generate large amounts of greenhouse gases. While they contribute to the triple planetary crisis (climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution), cities can also lead mitigation strategies, by implementing sustainable policies, consuming resources judiciously and spreading eco-friendly technologies. This is why it is important to enable local and regional governments to participate in international environmental and climate discussions, such as the UN Environmental Assembly, and cooperate with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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INCLUSIVE MULTILATERALISM<\/a><\/h2>

Particularly in the UN context, \u201cmultilateralism\u201d describes forms of international cooperation by States on issues of common interest. The UN multilateral system was set up for States. The GCH believes that it would be more effective if it were more inclusive and included local and regional governments, which are also elected and are closer to the people they serve. For this reason, GCH supports multilateral fora, such as the UN Forum of Mayors, that promote inclusive multilateralism and strengthen the voice, role and influence of local and regional governments at international level.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Global challenges are too numerous and significant to be managed by States alone. Because cities and regions make essential contributions to action on climate change, environmental protection, risks to health, human rights, migration, and smart city development, they should participate in international discussions and negotiation of such issues. 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