Enhancing the role of cities as global economic and political leaders
The U20 works to coordinate a joint position between the mayors of major G20 cities and other global urban centres to inform and enrich the discussions of national leaders. It focuses on responding to the climate crisis by championing and accelerating the transition to carbon-neutral, more inclusive and resilient societies. By doing so, the U20 aims to facilitate lasting engagement between the G20 and cities, raise the profile of urban issues in the G20 agenda and establish a forum for cities to develop a collective message and perspective to inform G20 negotiations.
During each U20 cycle, each participating city is represented in the process by its mayor and a key city representative. The main output of the U20 process is the Urban 20 Communiqué to the G20. This communiqué, and any other recommendations from the mayors and lead representatives, are shared with the G20 Presidency and Heads of State during the annual U20 Summit, held before the annual G20 Leaders’ Summit.
The G20 works with various organisations to provide diverse perspectives on financial and socio-economic challenges. Some of these organisations are gathered in thematic groups called G20 Engagement Groups. The U20 operates in the same spirit, but it is independent of the organisations of the G20 host country.
The initiative is permanently convened by C40 Cities and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) under the leadership of a chair city that rotates annually following the G20 cycles. The U20 has been chaired by Buenos Aires and Paris (2018), Tokyo (2019), Riyadh (2020), Milan and Rome (2021), Jakarta (2022), and Ahmedabad (2023).
To learn more, contact Judith Neijzen at jneijzen@c40.org.
