Urban 20 Ahmedabad summit endorsed by record number of 105 cities worldwide

The two-day Urban 20 Mayoral Summit, hosted by the chair city Ahmedabad from 7-8 July, concluded with a Communique that was officially endorsed by a record number of 105 cities across the world, which is more than twice the number of endorsements for any previous U20 communiqué.

The Communiqué which was handed over to the G20 leaders by the mayors has been drafted as an action agenda for the six priorities identified collectively by U20 cities. These priorities include encouraging environmentally responsible behaviours, accelerating climate finance, championing local culture and economy, ensuring water security, catalysing digital urban futures, and reinventing frameworks for urban planning and governance, according to an official statement issued today.

The Communiqué under India’s G20 presidency is aligned with the theme of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, or One Earth, One Family, One Future.

“Cities are going to be central to achieving various global goals related to sustainability, inclusivity and climate resilience.” said Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri while addressing the gathering. The Minister shared his views on the power of the ‘urban constituency’ and the challenges of global development would have to be addressed through cities as agents of change. He reiterated that the six priorities identified by the Communiqué would be central to our collective survival in the future. He spoke about nine areas that cities should focus on, to work towards a sustainable future. These include strengthening of  local governance, pushing for financially self-reliant cities, fostering a culture of innovation and putting citizens at the heart of urban policy. It also emphasises on leveraging the local culture and economy.

G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant at the handover session, emphasised the role of cities in shaping a sustainable and prosperous future. He highlighted the alignment of U20 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for India’s G20 presidency, that it will be “inclusive, decisive and action-oriented”.

The handover was moderated by the U20 convenors, C40 Cities and UCLG. The Hon’ble Mayor of Ahmedabad handed over the Communique to Shri Hardeep Singh Puri and Shri Amitabh Kant, amidst thunderous applause from the delegates.

The current U20cycle has also created a record with over 50 articles, 6 extensive background research papers, six white papers on the six priority areas and six U20 bulletins being prepared and released during the cycle. The Summit also saw the launch of several technical papers and documents including the Policy brief on Mainstreaming Gender in U20 and the Ahmedabad Resilient City Climate Action Plan, which gives a roadmap for achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.

Participating city mayors and delegates, dignitaries and knowledge partners, all unanimously agreed that this U20 cycle has been a huge success and has surpassed all previous cycles in a number of aspects.