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Read articles on our activities and inclusive multilateralism in International Geneva

Smart City Leaders’ Talk

The Smart City Leaders’ Talk at the WSIS+20 High-level Events on 28 May 2024 discussed the issue of people-centered and sustainable smart city development and provided a great example of an inclusive dialogue between international organizations and local governments on this crucial topic. Hosted by ITU WSIS Process, co-organized by GCH and WeGO, with the …

Cities must beat the heat, but they face a lot of challenges!

On 29 May 2024, a few days ahead of Heat Action Day, the Global Cities Hub co-organized an event with the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre on “Cities beat the heat”. With heatwaves being on the rise globally, occurring earlier in the summer, getting both longer and hotter due to climate change, we felt …

GCH and UN-Habitat sign agreement to continue fruitful cooperation and set new goals

On 14 June 2024, Global Cities Hub and UN-Habitat signed a Memorandum of Understanding to pursue their successful cooperation. The purpose of this MoU is to provide a framework of collaboration to advance the participation and engagement of LRGs in multilateralism and various aspects of sustainable urban development. UN Assistant Secretary-General and Acting Executive Director …

Cities have the potential to drive innovative initiatives on drugs that can inspire national change

On 26 June 2024, at the occasion of the International day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, the GCH hosted a Geneva Urban Debate on “Advancing Drug Policy Reform at the Local Level”. The event put the limelight on an issue that is not often discussed within the International Geneva ecosystem and at a level that is usually forgotten, i.e., the local level.

The ethical use of Artificial Intelligence in cities

It is widely assumed that AI and AI-associated technologies will enhance economic growth and public well-being in ‘smart cities’. GCH’s new policy paper argues that local and regional governments (LRGs) should deploy these technologies, but only when they contribute to LRGs’ public mission and enhance the quality of life and meet the needs of their …

Interview with Mayor Manuel de Araujo

Taking part in the Smart City Leaders Talk, Mayor Manuel de Araujo gave an interview to Geneva Solutions about the journey of digital transformation in his city, Quelimane (Mozambique). His mission is to turn his coastal city of 350,000 inhabitants into a digital hub properly connected with other cities. Read the interview here.

Cities have a crucial role to play to prevent hate speech and extremism

On 13-14 May, in Strasburg, the GCH took part in an event organized by the Strong Cities Network to discuss the role of cities in preventing hate, violent extremism and radicalization at the local level. The event gathered around 20 cities from both sides of the Atlantic (France, Belgium, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK, USA, Canada), as well as NGOs and Academia working in a relevant field. More than 50 participants took part in this transatlantic dialogue aiming at sharing best practices in preventing hate and strengthening social cohesion.

New Coalition takes action to include Local and Subnational Governments in the future Treaty against Plastic Pollution

The Global Cities Hub (GCH) has been actively involved in addressing environmental issues, particularly plastic pollution. It has published a position paper with strategic proposals addressed to States currently negotiating the future plastic pollution treaty. This treaty, as mandated by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), seeks to establish a comprehensive international legally binding agreement …

Bridging Human Rights and SDGs systems & data collection: bringing local and regional governments into the equation

On 18 April 2024, the Global Cities Hub was invited to take part in an expert roundtable on data planning and collection[1] by National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up (NMIRFs)[2] in human rights area, with a special focus on the integration of local and regional governments (LRGs) and national statistical systems which operate with …