In his recent article “Urban 20: Six Editions of City Diplomacy at the Highest Level”, published in the book Urban Sustainable Development: Governance, Finance, and Politics co-edited by CEBRI and the Rio de Janeiro City Hall (available online hereFernando Straface (Director of the CIG) and Mariana Cammisa (CIG Fellow) analyze the evolution and consolidation of the Urban 20 (U20) as a space for urban diplomacy that connects major cities with the G20 agenda.
Although cities' global leadership has grown in multilateral forums in recent years, this wasn't always the case, and the launch of U20 in 2018 marked a milestone in urban diplomacy. Based on the premise that global cities should not be excluded from discussions on development issues, Buenos Aires and Paris proposed the creation of Urban 20, an initiative through which cities would share their experiences to enrich the debate on major global challenges. The goal was to coordinate a series of objectives and actions among the mayors of major G20 cities and other cities around the world, in order to contribute to and enrich the agenda developed by national leaders at the G20 Summit.
The inaugural U20 summit was held in Buenos Aires in October 2018, where 35 mayors and city representatives invited by Head of Government Horacio Rodríguez Larreta pledged to promote dialogue and cooperation between the G20 and the cities of the world, and presented a common position to the G20 president.
Six years after its creation, Urban 20 has established itself as a mechanism that amplifies local voices, fulfilling the commitments under which it was conceived:
1. Generate a common platform on behalf of global urban centers, to be shared in a coherent and organized manner with the G20 leaders;
2. To enrich the general G20 discussion by exploring perspectives and good practices specific to cities;
3. Promote collaboration between cities in the implementation of measures driven by the G20 to maximize benefits and ensure positive results;
4. Propose joint solutions to specific obstacles to economic development, using tools from the current G20 urban agenda and recommendations based on the experience of cities.
Since its inception in 2018, U20 has enabled cities to contribute their experiences, knowledge, and solutions to global challenges such as climate change, social inclusion, sustainable mobility, and the future of work. Across six editions, held in Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Riyadh, Rome-Milan, Jakarta, and Ahmedabad, the U20 meetings have produced joint statements with recommendations for G20 leaders, highlighting
the fundamental role of local governments in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement and other global agendas.
City diplomacy has taken on a strategic role in the multilateral system, expanding the traditional concept of international relations dominated by states. Cities have responded innovatively to challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, generating key urban public goods such as access to green spaces, clean mobility, and affordable housing.
The U20 has not only strengthened cities' presence on the global stage, but has also contributed to pushing for reforms in the international financial architecture to facilitate cities' direct access to climate finance. In this sense, the 2024 U20—co-hosted by Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo—represents a unique opportunity to amplify the urban voice in multilateral processes and advance toward more inclusive and effective governance.
