On 13 October, the Global Cities Hub and UNECE organized the first Mayors × International Organizations High-Level Exchange, during the 6th UN Forum of Mayors. Designed as an alternative to a traditional panel discussion, the new format brought (deputy) mayors and governors together with senior representatives from the Organisation mondiale de la santé (WHO), the ONU Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), the Union internationale des télécommunications (ITU), the ONU Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and the Bureau des Nations Unies pour la réduction des risques de catastrophes (UNDRR) for a challenge-based and action-oriented exchange. The first edition proved highly successful, with plenty of room for direct dialogue and follow-up.
Rather than speaking about cities in a formal setting, international organizations engaged directly with mayors discussing local realities and priorities, while cities could learn more about the expertise, tools and opportunities available within international organizations:
- WHO plays a central role in promoting urban health by supporting cities to address the social, environmental, and economic determinants of health and well-being. Its Villes saines program aims to place health high on the political and social agenda of LRGs and encourages cities to create supportive environments, reduce health inequalities, and improve access to essential services.
- UN-Habitat works closely with national and local governments and urban stakeholders to promote sustainable, inclusive and resilient urban development. Participants discussed housing systems, urban planning, and land management – using housing sector profiles. They learned about the RISE UP project to strengthen climate resilience, and the work of UNITAC to solve urban challenges through digital innovation. The work by Local 2030 Coalition to accelerate local SDG action was also mentioned.
- ITU works on connectivity, standards, digital development and closing digital divides. Its engagement with cities includes digital infrastructure, smart city services, standards and emerging concepts such as the citiverse. The exchange explored how digital transformation can improve public services while remaining inclusive, secure and people-centred. There were a lot of interest to the ‘Guiding Principles for People-Centred Smart Cities in the AI Era’ to be presented at the UN Pavilion au cours de la Smart City Expo in Barcelona next November.
- UNECE works directly with villes, providing policy, regulatory and technical assistance that connects urban development, housing and land management with environment, forests, transport, energy, trade, statistics, public-private partnerships and other areas. On the ground, technical assistance targeting cities includes support for urban reconstruction and resilience projects, and the SPECA project helping Central Asian cities for urban development and corridor connectivity.
- UNDRR works with cities to strengthen resilience and reduce disaster risk by helping local governments understand and manage the risks they face. Mayors were interested to learn about the Making Cities Resilient 2030 program through which UNDRR supports cities in assessing risks, improving urban planning and infrastructure, strengthening governance, and developing practical resilience strategies.
The flexible format offered a practical way to strengthen connections between local and regional governments and international organizations and create opportunities for continued dialogue beyond the UN Forum of Mayors. The session presented the work and opportunities for cities in areas ranging from urban health and housing to digitalization, sustainable development and disaster risk reduction. Mayors moved freely between thematic tables, choosing the conversations most relevant to their cities. This created a series of spontaneous mini-multilaterals, with small groups forming around shared challenges, questions and possible areas for cooperation.
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