Bringing the local
perspective to the
G20 agenda

By facilitating discussions between countries and cities from the G20, the Urban 20 (U20) establishes a platform for cities to collectively inform G20 negotiations.

An urban world

The world is more urban than ever. Today, more than half of the global population lives in cities, and it is estimated that cities will host two-thirds of all people by 2050. Cities also consume over 75% of the world’s energy, generate 75% of related emissions, and they are experiencing the impacts of climate change first-hand.

URBAN 20 SEEKS TO COLLABORATE AND ENRICH THE AGENDA OF THE G20 WITH AN URBAN PERSPECTIVE, FOR THAT WE WILL WORK TOGETHER WITH THE BIG CITIES OF THE WORLD

HORACIO RODRIGUEZ LARRETA,
FORMER MAYOR OF BUENOS AIRES

MAYORS ARE MAKING PROGRESS ON THE KEY CHALLENGES FACING OUR CITIES. IT IS NECESSARY FOR CITIES’ VOICES TO BE HEARD IN THE G20

ANNE HIDALGO,
MAYOR OF PARIS

The voice of the cities needs to be heard and I am confident that the work of this U20 meeting will be very productive.

President of Brazil Lula de Silva,
U20 2024

Cities are not the margins of global governance. The future of the G20 will be decided in the streets, homes, and communities of our cities.

Mr. Dada Morero, Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, U20 2025 Co-Chair

Cities are the best allies to achieve the G20 ambitions as we host the majority of people, have proven to be seriously committed to a sustainable planet and are the beacons of innovation for future prosperity.

Mr. Giuseppe Sala, Mayor of Milan, U20 2021 Co-Chair

Global processes need to include cities

Effective global action on issues ranging from the climate emergency, addressing inequality and sustainable economic development requires productive dialogue between the national and the local levels of government. The U20 was launched in 2017 under the leadership of Mayor Larreta of Buenos Aires and Mayor Hidalgo of Paris to bring together mayors from major G20 cities to inform the discussions of national leaders at the G20. The U20 in this sense aims at facilitating 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. Prior U20 summits include:

2026 – U20 USA – Coming soon

2025 – Tshwane & Johannesburg

2024 – Rio de Janeiro & São Paulo

2023 – Ahmedabad

2022 – Jakarta

2021 – Rome-Milan

2020 – Riyadh

2019 – Tokyo

2018 – Buenos Aires

Cities’ voices
are being
heard

The U20 Communiqué

The main outcome document of the U20 initiative is the U20 communiqué, a written action-oriented document that includes U20 participating cities’ asks and recommendations to national governments handed over to the G20 before the annual G20 Summit.

Please find the main calls from each U20 communiqué within our U20 Editions page.

Bringing the local perspective to the G20 agenda