Urban20 (U20) Sherpas meeting in Ahmedabad.

• The inaugural meeting City Sherpa meeting of the sixth Urban20 (U20) cycle was organised in Ahmedabad on recently.
• Priority areas for the Urban 20 event
  • Encouraging environmentally responsible behaviours,
  • Ensuring water security,
  • Accelerating climate finance,
  • Championing ‘local’ identity,
  • Reinventing frameworks for urban governance and planning, and
  • Catalysing digital urban futures.

About U20

• U20 is a group of cities from the G20 countries and was first convened in Buenos Aires in 2018.
• The U20 brings together mayors from G20 cities under a common framework and coordinates a joint position to inform the discussions of national leaders.
• Contributions from the U20 are shared with the G20 Presidency and Heads of State, enhancing the role of cities as global economic and political leaders.

Participants

• The U20 brings together a group of Participating Cities.
• These cities are important economic or population hubs, made up of majorC40 and UCLG member cities from G20 countries
  • C40 Cities: C40 connects 96 of the world’s largest and most influential cities, representing 700+ million citizens and one-quarter of the global economy.
  • United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG): UCLG is the world organization of local and regional governments and their associations, representing and defending their interests on the world stage.
    • UCLG’s network represents 70% of the world’s total population and is present in all world regions.

Objectives 

• Build a platform on behalf of urban centers and in close collaboration with global networks of local governments, to be shared collectively with G20 leaders.
• Enrich the G20 agenda by exploring synergies and contributing unique perspectives and good practices from cities.
• Propose joint solutions to enhance climate action and sustainable economic development by presenting a communique that leverages existing G20 policy recommendations and international frameworks as well as recommendations from cities.
• Invite G20 members to include in each annual discussion strategic or urgent urban subjects that require synergistic solutions with national governments from the short to the long term.