U20 Background

Urban20 (U20) is a city diplomacy initiative that brings together cities from G20 member states, plus observer cities from non-G20 states, to discuss and form a common position on important urban issues, including climate action, social inclusion and integration, and sustainable economic growth. Meetings and discussions culminate in a final Communique through which the U20 issues recommendations to G20 Heads of Government. 

The U20 was launched in 2017 at the One Planet Summit in Paris by conveners C40 Cities and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), under the leadership of the Mayor of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. The first subsequent U20 Mayors Summit took place in Buenos Aires the following year; Tokyo then hosted the second Summit in 2019. This year, Riyadh is Chair city and host of the annual Mayors Summit. The U20 unites the world’s leading cities. Each U20 city represents a major economic and political powerhouse. Together, the U20 cities are larger than the fifth most populous country in the world, responsible for over 8% of the global GDP, and collectively constitute the world’s third largest economy, after China and the United States. The U20 leverages that combined power to drive lasting impact in sustainable urban development.

The objective of the U20 is to bring urban issues to the forefront of the G20 agenda. The U20 is a unique platform for ambitious, local government leaders to step up and send a joint message calling for global climate action and sustainable development to their national leaders. This objective is achieved by delivering a final Communique of recommendations to the G20 President and Heads of State.

U20 Members and Taskforces

U20 members are primarily Mayors and their designated Sherpas from G20 cities, in addition to invited representatives of non-G20 cities. Addressing the world’s pressing urban issues requires widespread collaboration, though, so the U20 also engages select partner organizations in its efforts.

The goal of the U20 is to provide G20 leaders with policy recommendations for addressing urban challenges. To ensure solid, evidence-based recommendations are shared, the U20 uses a structured taskforce approach. Each of three taskforces focuses on a U20 priority area agreed on by the collective U20 body and consists of city representatives as well as knowledgeable partner organizations.

Over the course of the year, taskforces author white papers and policy briefs with specific, actionable solutions. These recommendations are then shared with G20 leaders via the U20’s final Communique. 

U20 Process

U20 Current Statistics

Past U20 Mayor Summits

At the second 2019 U20 Summit in Tokyo, several of the U20 Buenos Aires themes were consolidated to include Climate Action, Sustainable Economic Growth, and Social Inclusion and Integration. 

The inaugural 2018 U20 Mayors Summit in Buenos Aires reflected global urban discussions around climate action and social integration and emphasized local priorities in line with the Argentina G20 agenda. Themes included the Future of Work, Social Integration, Women Empowerment, Access to Finance, and Climate Action.