After a successful first U20 Mayors Summit in Buenos Aires last October, U20 Sherpas met in Milan on 5-6 March to prepare this year’s Summit, which will be hosted by Tokyo as the 2019 U20 Chair. U20 Sherpas discussed the group’s policy priorities on climate action, social inclusion, and economic growth, and agreed on reinforcing the link between those and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Last 5-6 March 2019, the City of Milan hosted the meeting of U20 Mayors’ representatives – also known as “Sherpas” – to prepare for the 2019 U20 Mayors Summit in Tokyo and discuss policy priorities for messages to the G20. It was the first time participating cities gathered after the successful initial Urban 20 Mayors Summit hosted by Buenos Aires last October.
The 2019 G20 chair is Japan and, subsequently, on 1st December the U20 chairmanship was passed from Buenos Aires to Tokyo. While the 2018 Summit in Buenos Aires left an articulated platform to advocate for local perspectives in the G20 agenda, this second edition will contribute to its consolidation as a platform for G20 cities to advocate for the inclusion of local priorities in the G20 agenda.
In Milan, U20 Sherpas discussed the policy priorities and political messages to be brought to the G20 through a Communique. The meeting resulted in a reinforced link between U20 city priorities, those of the overall local and regional governments’ constituency, and the 2030 Agenda. Climate action; adequate housing; migration; accessibility; ageing populations; access to basic services, and financing for sustainable infrastructure are the main policy areas that will be addressed by U20 cities’ messages to their national governments.
On Urban 20 (U20):
Urban 20 (U20) is an initiative developed under the leadership of Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta of Buenos Aires and Mayor Anne Hidalgo of Paris in 2017. It seeks to coordinate a joint position among the Mayors of G20 cities to inform and enrich the discussions of G20 national leaders. The initiative aims to highlight the expertise of cities in a range of global development issues; contributing with solutions to the G20, and formulating clear recommendations to national governments. The current U20 Chair is Governor Yuriko Koike of Tokyo. UCLG and C40, as conveners, co-facilitate this city diplomacy process, and ensure the links between the Urban 20 and the broader constituency of local and regional governments.
- Visit www.urban20.org
