World Cities Day

  From 13:30 to14:30 (UTC -05:00) in Bogota, Colombia. Roundtable 1: “ Achieving adequate housing through people-centred smart cities ”. In the context of rapid urbanization and accelerated technological change , cities around the world face increasingly complex challenges at the intersection of inclusion, sustainability, and digital transformation. While digital technologies offer powerful tools for enhancing urban governance , public service delivery and civicparticipation , their potential in tackling the global housing crisis is yet to be explored fully. Adequate housing and access to urban basic services are fundamental human rights and key components of sustainable urbandevelopment . Yet, the global housing crisis remains one of the most pressing challenges of our time: over 2.8 billion people worldwide lack access to adequate housing, while millions more live in informal settlements or face barriers in accessing housing and other essential services such as water, san...

Founded in 1979, the AIMF is an association (under the law of 1901) which has evolved to reflect changes in the political leadership and activities of local authorities. It is a welcoming space of exchange and solidarity for Mayors of francophone cities that has developed alongside city environments and international solidarity between cities . In 2021 the AIMF had 305 members in 54 countries.  More about the International Association of Francophone Mayors.

The  UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMEN TS  (UCLG) is the product of a century-old collaborative movement of local and regional governments. It is the voice of democratic local self-government and, with 250,000 members in over 140 States, it represents 70% of the world’s population through local and regional governments in seven world regions. The major global development agendas can only be achieved if they are integrated in all planning, policymaking, and action. Global solutions need to build on local experiences to ensure a future for our communities . This is localization: the achievement of global agendas from the bottom-up. It is the cornerstone of their strategy. They strive to strengthen and secure a seat at the global table for local and regional governments , to ensure not just that local perspectives and points of view play a part in how universal development agendas are implemented, but that local perspectives are considered from the start. They are committe...

PLATFORMA  is a pan-European coalition of towns and regions active in decentralized cooperation. Its 29 partners represent towns and regions and their national associations as well as European and global networks that are active in city-to-city and region-to region development cooperation. All members cooperate internationally to promote sustainable development. The secretariat of PLATFORMA is hosted by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) .

Regions4 catalyses regional government leadership, mobilizes resources, advocates for increased recognition, and channels regions’ voices in the main United Nations fora on biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable development.  REGIONS4 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Today, Leading Cities works with a global network of over 15,000 cities, connecting local governments with the solutions, partnerships, and resources they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world . But, Leading Cities began with a global vision and local roots. Founded through a collaboration between forward-thinking cities—Dublin, Boston, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro, Lyon, Hamburg, Lisbon, Zapopan, Vancouver, and Haifa—Leading Cities was built on the belief that the challenges we face as a planet will be solved in the places we live: our cities. Originally established in 2008 at Northeastern University, Leading Cities evolved from a research initiative into an independent nonprofit, expanding its mission to drive sustainability, resilience, and innovation in local governments worldwide . Today, we support a global network of cities, startups, investors, non-profits and corporate partners, working together to accelerate impact where it matters most.   Leading Cities is a global n...

  The  ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network working with more than 2500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development . Active in 125+ countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for zero emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development.

Eurocities is an association that provides a political platform for major European cities. We network the local governments of more than 200 major European cities in 38 countries, representing 130 million people.  Go to page

Energy Cities is an association that provides a political platform for major European cities. We network the local governments of 145 of Europe’s largest cities and more than 45 partner cities that between them govern some 130 million citizens in 39 countries. Energy Cities is a learning community for cities engaged in future proofing their economies , built around a “local and sustainable first” approach. Our strength lies in our members’ strong commitment to reach climate neutrality in their territories by 2050 and to align their local strategic development with the Paris Agreement. Building a learning community is a tool that helps each of our members feel more confident in their own transition journey, because other cities have done it before, or because cities can test new solutions together. We foster an atmosphere of mutual trust in the dialogue between citizens, local leaders and EU and national institutions in order to accelerate the transformation towards a climate-neutral ...

  Cities Alliance is a global partnership fighting urban poverty and promoting the role of cities . To manage its activities, the Cities Alliance operates a multi-donor fund of which the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is host and Trustee.