U7 group demands for greater involvement in addressing global challenges

In the run-up to the G7 summit from June 15 to 17, 2025 in Kananaskis, Canada, the Urban7 (U7) – the alliance of cities from the G7 countries – handed over a declaration entitled “A Case for Constructive Multilevel Multilateralism” to the Canadian G7 presidency. The declaration was presented at the annual meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in Ottawa.

In their declaration, the U7 emphasize the central role of the municipal level in tackling global challenges such as climate change, social inequality and geopolitical conflicts. They call for greater institutional involvement of cities in international decision-making processes and plead for formal recognition of the U7 as an official G7 engagement group.

At the U7 Mayors' Summit in April 2025 in Kobe, Japan, the city mayors had already formulated these demands and emphasized the importance of constructive, multilateral cooperation across all levels of government. They underlined the role of cities as guardians of peace and democracy and also emphasized how crucial strong partnerships are for international cooperation. Municipalities are not only key players in building such partnerships, but also in providing concrete support to war-affected regions such as Ukraine - for example through aid and municipal expertise.

By handing over the declaration to the Canadian G7 presidency, the cities hope that their concerns will be acknowledged at the upcoming G7 summit and lead to greater involvement of municipal stakeholders in global decision-making processes.