U7 Mayors Summit: Cities as drivers of change

Progress towards an equitable world – this is the goal of the German G7 Presidency this year. The cities of the G7 are the driving forces working for equitable, sustainable and democratic development. The Urban7 Cities Alliance, consisting of the Association of German Cities, ICLEI and the Global Parliament of Mayors, are hosting the U7 Mayors Summit on May 3, 2022 with the theme “Embracing the Urban World: Cities as Drivers of Change for Peace, Democracy and Sustainability”. The Urban7 Cities Alliance is supported by the Service Agency Communities in One World (SKEW) and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The U7 Mayors Summit brings together high-level representatives of the German G7 Presidency with representatives of national city associations and international city networks, as well as mayors from the G7 and the Global South. The program of the German G7 Presidency emphasizes the need for ambitious implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For this, the transformative power of cities is key. The Urban7 Alliance welcomes the recognition of cities, sustainable urban development and multi-level governance in the program of the G7 Presidency 2022. At the same time, the Alliance calls for a change of perspective: Too often, national policymakers view cities as objects of their policies and programs. However, the transformative power of cities can only be harnessed if the global political system evolves towards true multi-level governance.

The U7 Mayors Summit is the most significant event of cities in the framework of the German G7 Presidency. Mayors from the G7 and the Global South will formulate their expectations for the G7 Presidency and at the same time make it clear that progress for a just world can only be realized in and with strong cities. At the summit, the Urban7 Mayors Declaration will be adopted and handed over to the G7 Presidency.