The Communiqué calls on the G20 to foster social cohesion and equity and to move towards inclusive and prosperous societies
Cities from G20 countries, gathered as the Urban 20 (U20) met today for the U20 Mayors Summit 2021. The virtual meeting was hosted by the U20 Chairs, Virginia Raggi, Mayor of Rome, and Giuseppe Sala, Mayor of Milan.
Mayors representing the world’s largest economies presented their vision for a green and just recovery from COVID-19 and urged their national leaders to work together to foster greater collaboration with cities and local governments to accelerate solutions to the climate, health, economic and social crisis.
The Summit included the official presentation of the U20 Communique to the G20 Presidency. The 2021 Communiqué, first released in June by 28 mayors, now counts an additional 13 signatories, including the Indian cities of Mumbai and Delhi, who are joining the U20 initiative for the first time.
Specifically, in the Communique, 41 Mayors and Governors outline their vision for a new sustainable development paradigm and the road towards a resilient recovery from the global humanitarian crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. They ask the G20 leaders to guarantee the right to health for all by supporting strong public institutions and service provision, which are vital to the cohesion of our communities and to guaranteeing universal vaccine access equally for all. They call on the G20 to accelerate climate action ahead of COP26 by investing in halving global emissions by 2030 and shifting investments from fossil fuels to clean energy. Finally, the mayors are asking the G20 to increase equity and good governance, both by enabling cities to make the transition to a net-zero economy, a just transition for all, as well as by protecting citizen’s digital rights.
This high-level diplomatic event is expected to raise the stakes on the international stage in the lead-up to not only the G20 Summit in October but also the COP26 in Glasgow in November and other key international policy processes by bringing together some of the most ambitious leaders.
