[2025] 2025 International Mayors Forum

Documents

Concept Note and Agenda (updated as of 9 October 2025)

 

Background

As the world continues to urbanize, the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) demands a focus on accelerating progress in cities, towns and peri-urban areas. According to the United Nations, 55% of the world’s population resided in urban areas in 2018. By 2050, 68% of the world’s population is projected to be urban with nearly 90% of the increase in urbanization occurring in Asia and Africa.

SDG localization is the process of transforming the SDGs into reality at the local level, in coherence with national development frameworks and in line with local communities’ priorities. With 65% of SDG targets linked to the work and mandates of local and regional governments, localization is a pre-condition for their understanding, uptake, and achievement. The role of local and regional governments has gained prominence and visibility at the international level, recognized by Member States in General Assembly resolutions and High-level Political Forum (HLPF) political declarations2, and by the Secretary-General in his report on Our Common Agenda and on Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals: towards a rescue plan for people and planet.3 Further, the Pact for the Future adopted in September 2024 underscores the importance of a New Urban Agenda to localize sustainable development (Action 6), climate change, and digital cooperation including in the context of cities. By seeking the integration of local and regional governments into the global governance framework, the Pact aims to leverage the unique position of local and regional governments in implementing and achieving the SDGs (Action 55).

Furthermore, in October 2023, the Secretary General launched his Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments to advise and advance coordination and collaboration, among the constituency of local and regional governments and the United Nations system, towards coherent actions aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.5 The work of this Advisory Group informed the Pact for the Future.

Cities and towns across the globe face interlinked and growing crises as a result of conflicts, global economic uncertainty, increasing inequality, persistent poverty and hunger, unemployment, the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, and widening digital and political divides. In these times of crisis, localization of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals ensures a focus on achieving concrete results. The 2025 report on SDG progress calls for action on six key transitions where intensified efforts could deliver transformative impact: food systems, energy access, digital transformation, education, jobs and social protection, and climate and biodiversity action. The report notes that only 35 per cent of targets are on track or making moderate progress, while nearly half are advancing too slowly and 18 per cent have regressed. More than 800 million people continue to live in extreme poverty, while billions lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services. Temperatures reached 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels in 2024, making it the hottest year on record. Conflicts led to nearly 50,000 deaths that same year, and forced displacement affected over 120 million people worldwide. Exchange on the success stories occurring at local level is paramount for their scaleup. To address these challenges, the 2023 SDG Summit and its Political Declaration as well as the 2025 Ministerial Declaration of the high level political forum, identified localization as one of the high impact initiatives that can drive SDG progress.

In 2024, the World Urban Forum focused on Cities and Climate Action, the vulnerability of cities and urban citizens was underscored, as well as the capacity and financing gaps that cities and towns face to confront climate change.7 Cities and other urban areas require an estimated US$4.5-5.4 trillion annually up until 2030 to invest in new or retrofitted climate-resilient infrastructure across transport, energy, water and waste, and telecommunication projects. In 2021-2022, cities only secured US$831 billion per year for climate action and very limited amounts for adaptation. It is imperative that cities become prime recipients of international financing and investments. WUF13, taking place in Baku in 2026, will spotlight the global housing crisis—affecting nearly 3 billion people—as a key driver of sustainable urban development. Under the theme “Housing the World,” the Forum will explore how safe, resilient housing can advance equity, climate adaptation, and inclusive urban systems through practical, locally driven solutions.

As governments submit new Nationally Determined Contributions in 2025 to deliver on the Paris Agreement, the role of cities to ensure multi-level governance and localization of these national climate commitments is essential. Cities are on the frontline of responding to climate change and disaster risk reduction. Increasing urban density, expanding informal settlements, aging infrastructure, and climate-induced hazards such as floods, droughts, heatwaves, and earthquakes are amplifying the exposure and vulnerability of urban populations. Integrating disaster risk reduction, including nature-based solutions, into urban planning and development, including infrastructure development, is therefore essential to ensure long-term sustainability, protect investments, and minimize human and economic losses.

Approximately 40% of countries reporting to this year’s HLPF engaged closely with local and regional governments and recognized their role as key decision-makers in sustainable development.8 Building resilient cities requires coordinated efforts among local governments, national agencies, and communities to embed risk-informed planning and adaptive strategies into infrastructure, land use, and public service delivery.

The SDG localization process must account for local vulnerabilities by mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into both development and climate policies, and strengthening institutional capacities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. As part of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and its linkage to the 2030 Agenda, cities must prioritize resilience-building not only as a response mechanism but as a foundational principle of local governance. The 2025 Ministerial Declaration of the HLPF Member States committed to “promote a disaster risk - informed approach to sustainable development at the local, national, regional and global levels as well as effective local, national and regional multi-hazard early warning mechanisms and accelerate progress on integrating disaster risk reduction into policies, programmes and investments at all levels.”9 The 2025 International Mayors Forum offers an important platform to share such best practices, policy instruments, and identify scalable solutions for resilient and inclusive urban futures.

 

Investment Pathways and Multiplier effects through SDG localization

In 2023, the United Nations Sustainable Development Group identified Six Key Transitions: Investment Pathways to Achieve the SDGs that have catalytic and multiplier effects across the SDGs to ensure accelerated progress. They include i) food systems; ii) energy access and affordability; iii) digital connectivity; iv) education; v) jobs and social protection; and vi) climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. A new SDG localization benchmark has also been proposed for inclusion into UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks to measure impact through the use of the SDG Fund.

Accelerating SDG localization through the six key transitions is already happening, but greater alignment is needed between national strategies and local realities. Improved planning from national to local level is essential to accelerate global to local progress on sustainable development.

Furthermore, the SDGs cannot be achieved without scaled-up and sustained investments in urban infrastructure and services, such as quality and affordable housing, access to quality education, sustainable public transport systems, health care services and sanitation, decent work and a safe environment, with a particular focus on the needs of the most vulnerable amid rising inequality. Investing in urban infrastructure has large multiplier effects across SDGs with infrastructure either directly or indirectly influencing the attainment of 92% of the 169 individual SDG targets.

Cities also play a leading role in the economic development of countries and global prosperity, contributing as much as 80% to the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).10 As powerhouses of economic production, cities consequently account for 60-80% of global energy consumption, 70% of all resource consumption, and generate as much as 75% of the energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Unsustainable patterns of consumption and production are concentrated in cities, driving climate change, environmental degradation and loss of nature and biodiversity.

An estimated 95% of urban expansion will take place in developing countries over the next decades. As urbanization increases, it is also often accompanied by significant social and environmental challenges, such as the lack of access to adequate, affordable urban housing options, urban infrastructure and basic services for a growing number of citizens, who have to contend with rising inequality and exclusion, unemployment, food insecurity and extreme poverty.

Despite the closeness of local governments to the needs and realities of sustainable development, local authorities have too often limited financial and human resources at their disposal to fully achieve the DGs. With an estimated gap of some US$ 4 trillion per year, the SDGs require a quantum leap in finance flows – from billions to trillions – ensuring that financing delivers results locally.11 The 2025 SDG progress report notes that low- and middle-income countries face record-high annual debt servicing costs of $1.4 trillion.12The 2025 Outcome of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development “Compromiso de Sevilla” highlights that urgent steps are needed to mobilise financing at scale to close the development financing gap.13 Some countries are making progress, aligning national budgets with SDG targets, translating them to city-level, and issuing SDG debt vehicles such as SDG Bonds to close financing gaps even at sub-national level.

Greater financial resources, capacity and innovation are required through strengthened national to local coordination and multi-level governance for the 2030 Agenda. The SDGs can only be achieved through the substantial involvement of local actors, hence the need for localizing the SDGs, where local governments and stakeholders take action to achieve SDG targets in the context of climate vulnerability, climate adaptation and building resilience.

 

Goal and Objectives

The objective of the International Mayors’ Forum is to provide an annual platform to local and regional governments for policy dialogue and knowledge sharing on key aspects related to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The Forum will profile success cases of local solutions that are accelerating progress across the six transformative SDG transitions. The Forum will also serve as a strategic opportunity for local, regional, and national governments to explore ways that can further the implementation of the outcomes of the Summit of the Future’s Pact for the Future, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in 2025, and the Paris Agreement, thereby accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs.

Building on the outcomes of the 2024 International Mayors Forum held in Jakarta, the 2025 Forum will also promote dialogue and share practical experiences on how to accelerate SDG implementation through localization in the remaining five years of the Decade of Action, particularly in the face of increasing climate vulnerability and disaster risks in cities and towns. The Forum will highlight the importance of enhancing urban resilience and strengthening local-level DRR policies and systems to protect people, infrastructure, and essential services.

The Forum will focus on accelerating local-level action through transformative entry points—referred to as the Six Key Transitions: Investment Pathways to Achieve the SDGs—identified during the 2023 SDG Summit for their catalytic and multiplier effects across the SDGs. These include: (1) food systems; (2) energy access and affordability; (3) digital connectivity; (4) education; (5) jobs and social protection; and (6) climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. This year’s Forum will prioritize discussions on these investment pathways, with explicit attention to integrating DRR and resilience-building into each thematic area to ensure cities are better equipped to cope with shocks and long-term stresses.

This will include presentations of local progress through Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), including from Japanese cities and other subnational governments presenting their 2025 VLRs, with emphasis on how cities are mainstreaming DRR and resilience into their SDG localization strategies.

 

Organizers

The 2025 International Mayors Forum is organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and UN-Habitat. The Forum will be hosted by Toyota City, Japan, in cooperation with the Government of Japan and will be held at the Meitetsu Toyota Hotel in Toyota City, Japan, from 14-16 October 2025.

Rooted in the United Nations Charter and guided by the transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN DESA upholds the development pillar of the United Nations. UN DESA brings the global community together to work towards common solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. The Department also helps countries translate global commitments into national action in the economic, social and environmental spheres. Over the course of the past several years, DESA has supported the engagement of local government representatives at the HLPF. DESA also provides technical cooperation and support, including capacity development, to Member States at their invitation, working at national and regional levels with governments, civil society organizations, UN Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams (UNCTs) and other key stakeholders to advance sustainable development and ensure that no one is left behind.

Established in 2011, UNOSD is part of the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) of UN DESA providing technical and advisory services in support of the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs, especially on climate action, and environmental targets. Since 2017, UNOSD has been organizing the annual International Mayors Forum to strengthen SDG localization and increase knowledge and commitments towards advancing the SDGs through national to local leadership. Established in 1971, UNCRD is part of DSDG of UN DESA, providing policy and technical support to advance sustainable development at the regional and local levels. UNCRD actively contributes to the International Mayors Forum and supports the development of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) to enhance local SDG implementation. It also promotes integrated approaches through its work on Smart Cities, DRR and water, and quality infrastructure, drawing on lessons from flagship initiatives such as the Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum and the EST Forum in Asia-Pacific. UN DESA is further supporting the annual International Mayors Forum through its UN Project Office on Governance (UNPOG), which aims to strengthen the public governance capacities of Member States in Asia and the Pacific and beyond to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable cities. UN-Habitat supports urban development projects in over 90 countries while actively advocating sustainable urban development regularly and in global events including the World Urban Forum.

As the host and organizer of the International Mayors Forum 2025, Toyota City reaffirms its commitment to sustainable urban development by providing a platform for mayors worldwide to exchange best practices and collaborate on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Toyota City will offer logistical support, including venue arrangements, transportation, and support staff, to ensure the smooth preparation and organization of the Forum. Additionally, Toyota City will host a welcome reception, fostering an environment for networking and collaboration among participants.

 

Target Audience

Mayors and officials from subnational government entities, as well as key ministerial representatives from developed and developing countries, including least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small island developing States and middle-income countries. Representatives of UN entities, Local 2030 Coalition and regional hubs, international experts and other stakeholders will also be invited to attend the Forum.

 

Outcome documents

The outcomes of the Forum 2025 will be summarized in a document titled “Key Messages”, highlighting the key discussions and insights from the event. Additionally, the commitments made by participating mayors and governors will be compiled into an outcome document, the “Toyota Action Plan for Partnerships”, outlining concrete actions and collaborative efforts to advance sustainable urban development and the SDGs.

 

Programme and Agenda

Day 1 (14 October)

Welcome Remarks

• Mr. Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations
• Hon. Mr. Toshihiko Ota, Mayor of Toyota City, Japan
• Mr. Toshitaka Kitagawa, Chairperson of Toyota City Council, Japan
• Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) (Video message)
• Ms. Kazuko Ishigaki, Regional Representative, Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (ROAP), UN-Habitat

 

Congratulatory Remarks

• H.E. Ms. Sariha Belén Moya Angulo, Minister of Economy and Finance, Ecuador (video)
• H.E. Ms. Yoko Kamikawa, Member of the House of Representatives/former Foreign Minister, Japan
• Ms. Toshimi Nishizaki, Deputy Director-General/Deputy Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan
• Mr. Kenichi Kawamura, Deputy Minister for International Projects of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan
• Hon. Mr. Hideaki Ohmura, Governor of Aichi Prefecture, Japan

 

Introductory Session and High-Level Representatives of Partner Organizations

• Mr. Chun Kyoo Park, Head, UN Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD), Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG), UN DESA
• Mr. Shigeo Murata, Head, UN Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), DSDG, UN DESA
• Mr. Kazuhiko Takemoto, Chair, International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), Japan
• High-level representative(s) of the partner organizations

 

Session 1: Digital Connectivity for Preparedness and Resilience – Data and Infrastructure

Moderator: Ms. Sanjeevani Dilanthi Singh, Economic Affairs Officer, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP)

• Hon. Mr. Tsutomu Iwata, Town Mayor of Susami Town, Japan
• Hon. Mr. Linne Yun, Deputy Governor of Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
• Mr. Mitsuhiro Yao, Counsellor for Global Strategies, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan
• Ms. Son Hye Young, Director of Innovation and Growth City Strategy Division, IFEZ, Incheon - AI Smart City to Foster AI-driven Solutions

 

Session 2: Safe and resilient housing, cities, and communities

Moderator: Ms. Kazuko Ishigaki, Regional Director, ROAP, UN-Habitat

• Hon. Ms. Florence Namayanja, Mayor of Masaka, Uganda
• Hon. Mr. Abdurahman Omary Shiloow, Mayor of Tanga, Tanzania
• Mr. Amartuvshin Amgalanbayar, Deputy Governor of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Ms. Normaira Binti Abdul Rahman, Vice Mayor of Seberang Perai, Malaysia

 

Session 3: Circular solutions, resource efficiency, and sustainable waste management towards cleaner cities

Moderator: Mr. Choudhury Rudra Charan Mohanty, Environment Programme Coordinator, UNCRD-DSDG/UN DESA

• Mr. Sho Nakamura, Director for promotion of Circular Society, Environmental Regeneration and Material Cycles Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan
• Hon. Mr. Samuel Dusengiyumva, Mayor of Kigali, Rwanda (tbc)
• Hon. Mr. Hong Seng Wee, Mayor of Kuching South City, Malaysia
• Ms. Rieko Kubota, Program Officer, Urban, DRM, Resilience & Land Global Practice, Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC), World Bank
• Ms. Sachiyo Hoshino, Special Advisor for Regional Director, UN-Habitat ROAP
• Mr. Felipe Dall, Programme Officer, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC)

 

Session 4: Advancing national to local adaptation and competitiveness to address the climate crisis

Moderator: Ms. Sara Castro Hallgren, Sustainable Development Officer, UNOSD, DSDG, DESA

• Hon. Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Mayor of Karachi, Pakistan
• Hon. Mr. Claudelino Rodas, Mayor of Filadelfia, Paraguay
• Ms. Yumi Otsuka, Senior General Manager for Sustainability Management, Toyota Motor Corporation
• Ms. Azusa Matsumoto, Project Coordinator, Investment and Technology Promotion Office, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
• Ms. Oddy Angelo, Human Settlements Officer, UN-Habitat ROAP

 

Day 2 (15 October)

Session 5: Financing for low-carbon and climate-resilient planning and bankable projects / Breaking the Local Government Finance Gridlock – investment pathways

Moderator: Mr. Jurgen Gafke, Senior Programme Officer, DSDG, DESA

Keynote Presentation

• H.E. Minister Sariha Moya, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ecuador (video)

Panelists

• Hon. Mr. Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav, Mayor of Indore, India (tbc)
• Ms. Gertrude Rose Gamwera, Head, East African Local Governments Association (tbc)

Learning Lab – City Climate Finance Gap Fund

• Ms. Jazlyn Lee, Regional Engagement Lead for Southeast Asia and South Asia, The City Climate Gap Fund, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy
• Mr. Marvin Lagonera, the City Advisor for Southeast Asia and South Asia, The City Climate Gap Fund, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy

 

Session 6: Foresight and Institutional Capacities for Preparedness, Risk Reduction and Resilience

Moderator: Mr. Alf Ivar Blikberg, Programme Management Officer, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)

Introductory Statement

• H.E. Mr. Abdihakim Hassan Ashkir, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs & Reconciliation, Somalia

Panelists

• Hon. Ms. Suzette A. Mamon, Mayor of Badiangan, Philippines
• Hon. Ms. Yuri Jessica Colorado, Mayor of Muisne, Ecuador
• Mr. Deng Gatluak Guo, Director for Local Governance, Local Government Board, Juba South Sudan (tbc)
• Mr. Sayan Thasanakosol, Director of Traffic Engineering Office, Traffic and Transportation Department (TTD), Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Thailand / Mr. Kenichi Yagi, Program Director, Toyota Mobility Foundation

 

Session 7: Inter-generational Cooperation and Inclusive Governance

Moderator: Ms. Sara Castro-Hallgren, Sustainable Development Officer, UNOSD, UNDESA

Presentations

• Introductory presentation: Mr. Jurgen Gafke, Senior Programme Officer, DSDG, UNDESA - The Pact for the Future
• Ms. Farzana Faruk, Youth Advisor, UN Secretary General Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change

Introduction of two groups by the Deputy Mayor of Toyota City to be followed by the presentations

• Ms. Kunie Tsuji, Deputy Mayor of Toyota City, Japan
• Mr. Takeru Nagaya and Ms. Yuna Mori, representatives of the Toyota City Children's Assembly
• Mr. Shunto Yoshimura, Ms. Keiko Yamamura and Ms. Seina Kimura, General Incorporated Association JUNTOS, presentation of the local youth action for the SDGs in Toyota City

 

Plenary dialogue on Year 2050 - Messages for the Future

 

Session 8: Country experiences implementing multi-level governance to achieve the SDGs

Moderator: Mr. Prabin Maharjan, Programme Management Expert, UNPOG/DPIDG/UN DESA

• Hon. Barrister Arsalan Islam Shaikh, Mayor of Sukkur Municipal Corporation, Pakistan (video)
• Ms. Abiodun Essiet, Special Advisor, Office of the President on Community Engagement, Nigeria
• Hon. Mr. Pablo Yves L., Mayor of Dumlao II, Surigao, Philippines
• Mr. Julio Saguir, Professor of Political Science, National University of Tucumán, Argentina

 

Special Session: Launch of Voluntary Local Reviews (2025)

Moderator: Prof. Norichika Kanie, Keio University, Japan

• Hon. Mayor Toshihiko Ota, Toyota City, Japan
• Hon. Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa, Nagoya City, Japan
• Hon. Mayor Hisaaki Suzuki, Gamagori City, Japan
• Hon. Ms. Orie Kishimoto, Deputy Governor, Shiga Prefecture, Japan

 

Day 3 (16 October)

Session 10: SDG Localization Champions and 2025 Global Voluntary Local Reviews Dialogue

Moderator: Ms. Oddy Angelo, Human Settlements Officer, UN-Habitat

• Hon. Mr. Norman Alexander Sanchez, Mayor of Intibucá, Honduras (video)
• Hon. Mr. Adam Azim, Mayor of Male City Council, Maldives (VLR 2025)
• Hon. Mr. Tevita G Taginavula Boseiwaqa, Chairman of Suva City Council, Fiji (VLR 2025)
• Hon. Ms. Kapandula Annie Kalamatila, Executive Mayor, Lufwanyama District, Zambia (VSR)
• Hon. Mr. Kanop Ketchart, Mayor of Nahkon Si Thammarat, Thailand

 

Session 11: Monitoring Progress on SDG Localization and Ensuring Accountability – Champions in Action

Moderator: Ms. Sara Castro Hallgren, Sustainable Development Officer, UNOSD-DSDG/UN DESA

• Mr. Dongwook Kim, Director of Center of Intelligent Society and Policy, Seoul National University, Professor Emeritus of Department of Public Administration, Seoul National University
• Ms. Sanjeevani Dilanthi Singh, Economic Affairs Officer, UN ESCAP
• Hon. Mr. Arnold Arcillas, Vice Mayor of Santa Rosa, Philippines (VLR 2025)
• Mr. Zeru Hadrod Mkandawire, Executive Director, Malawi Local Government Association (MALGA), Malawi

 

“Toyota Action Plan for Partnerships” – Plenary dialogue

 

Official Handover Ceremony for 2026 International Mayors Forum

From Hon. Mr. Toshihiko Ota, Mayor of Toyota City, Japan to H.E. Minister Sariha Moya, Minister of Economy and Finance, Ecuador and Hon. Mayor Yuri Colorado, Muisne, Ecuador

 

Closing of the 2025 International Mayors Forum

• Hon. Mr. Toshihiko Ota, Mayor of Toyota City, Japan
• Ms. Kazuko Ishigaki, Regional Director, ROAP, UN-HABITAT
• Mr. Chun Kyoo Park, Head, UN Office for Sustainable Development, DESA
• Mr. Shigeo Murata, Head, UN Centre for Regional Development, DESA

 

Code of Conduct

The organizations of the United Nations system are committed to enabling events at which everyone can participate in an inclusive, respectful and safe environment.

UN system events are guided by the highest ethical and professional standards, and all participants are expected to behave with integrity and respect towards all participants attending or involved with any UN system event: https://www.un.org/en/content/codeofconduct