The first meeting of Urban20 (U20), the engagement group of G20 cities – representing the world's major economies – will bring together authorities from 38 municipalities this Monday (June 17) and Tuesday (June 18) at the Tomie Ohtake Institute in São Paulo. The group is co-chaired by the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. One of the main objectives of the meeting is to reinforce the role of local governments as global economic and political leaders. Among the key topics is combating global warming.
- "The actions to address climate change are in the cities, which are the engines of economic growth and represent more than 80% of the world's GDP. However, mechanisms within global governance are necessary to ensure cities' access to international financing. Municipalities in developing countries have the potential to attract around $30 billion in climate-related investments by 2030. The G20 is a unique opportunity to show the world's top leaders the importance of global financial reform," said the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes.
- "The mayors' summit is the main event of U20, a great opportunity to discuss ideas and develop public policies committed to sustainable urban development. The city of São Paulo is honored to host such an important meeting and, in our tradition of hospitality, wishes everyone an excellent participation and experience," highlighted the mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes.
The meeting aims to promote urban diplomacy, discuss the priorities set by the G20 presidency from an urban perspective, plan actions, and foster new business and international cooperation among U20 municipalities.
- "The co-presidency with São Paulo is fundamental and demonstrates our priority in advancing sustainable urban development and resilience in cities in Brazil and worldwide. These are two of the largest cities in the Global South engaging in high-level discussions with other G20 mayors, ready to reverse the current state of global inequality and mitigate the environmental and social impacts of climate change. This joint effort aims to produce a common international understanding of the importance of urban public policies, finding sustainable innovative solutions, and ways to implement them, building a fairer and more equitable future for all," said Antônio Mariano, coordinator of International Relations for the city of Rio.
- "Urban20 is a diplomacy initiative that brings together cities from G20 member countries to promote debate and political articulation of recommendations on the agendas of economy, climate, and development of local governments, seeking to sensitize G20 leaders to the importance and necessity of cities participating in global discussions. The Urban Forum will be an opportunity for cooperation among global cities, exchanging experiences between countries, and facilitating the prospect of investments and presenting to the world the main public policies of the São Paulo City Hall," stated the Deputy Secretary of International Relations of São Paulo, Ambassador Maria Auxiliadora Figueiredo.
The U20 cycle under the co-presidency of Rio and São Paulo will have two novelties. The first is the opportunity to present the main recommendations to the G20 presidency during the third round of Sherpas negotiations. The meeting is scheduled for July 3 to 5 in Rio de Janeiro.
The second is that the next U20 Summit, in November, in Rio, will be held for the first time on the eve of the G20 Heads of State and Government meeting. As local structures deal more directly with crises, from economic inequality to climate disasters, holding the mayors' meeting on the eve of the G20 summit can significantly influence the discussions of Heads of State regarding global governance and the various levels of public administration.
