29 April 2025
Local leaders, representing city and regional networks in the G7 countries, gathered in Kobe (Japan) today for the fourth Urban7 (U7) Mayors' Summit, held alongside the Kobe City Global Conference commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. The Summit brought together local and regional government representatives from all G7 countries to strengthen the voice of cities in G7 decision-making processes for better addressing pressing global challenges with local impact.
In an era of profound global change and rapid urbanization, and a reduced G7 Ministerial Meetings’ agenda, Mayors formulated the urgent call to the G7 to formally recognise the U7 as an official G7 engagement group. The status as an official engagement group will allow local leaders to engage with G7 ministers systematically and permanently. A circumstance necessary for U7 leaders to maintain and further strengthen cooperation across levels on urban matters - a profoundly cross-cutting issue - that is at the heart of the joint objective to build a world that ensures equal opportunities, thriving economies, and a healthy, prosperous, and safe planet for communities. In this regard, the mayors underscored the importance of rules-based international engagement, strong partnerships between levels of governments, and the crucial role of cities in building these partnerships, supporting peace and democracy, and delivering aid and expertise to war-ravaged communities such as in Ukraine.
At the heart of discussions were topics of key priority for local leaders and communities, including climate action, democracy, peacebuilding, international city-to-city cooperation, housing affordability, digital governance, and the need for stronger multilevel cooperation between local and national governments. The mayors discussed a joint declaration titled "Urban 7 Mayors' Declaration - A Case for Constructive Multilevel Multilateralism", presenting avenues for closer cooperation between levels of governments in addressing these core challenges, which is to be shared with leaders of the G7 countries later this year.
Kizō Hisamoto, Mayor of Kobe, commented: "As we mark 30 years since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, Kobe is proud to host the fourth U7 Mayors Summit alongside the Kobe Global Conference. This is a crucial moment to reaffirm local and regional governments as important partners in fostering international cooperation, sheltering citizens from the dangers of climate change, and empowering them in their role as guardians of democracy, and key contributors to peace and economic resilience and prosperity. The U7 is an important vehicle for us in working closer across all levels of government in the G7. We hope U7 will be recognised as an official G7 engagement group this year, which will be essential for jointly advancing towards G7 objectives and a better, more affordable, resilient and sustainable future for our communities."
The Summit was attended by representatives from city associations from all G7 countries, including Hayato Shimizu, Mayor of Saitama City (Japan), Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener (Canada), Pia Imbs, President of the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg (France), Eckart Würzner, Mayor of Heidelberg (Germany), Pierluigi Biondi, Mayor City of L'Aquila (Italy), Susan Aitken, Leader Glasgow City Council (UK), Barbara Buffaloe, Mayor of Columbia, Missouri (US), and Ricardo Rio, Mayor of Braga (Portugal), member of Eurocities, representing the European Union.
Image 1: U7 Mayor representatives; Image credits: City of Kobe
Image 2: Group picture of U7 Mayor representatives, from left to right: ; Image credits: City of Kobe
Image 3: U7 Mayor representatives; Image credits: City of Kobe
About the Urban7
The G7 Urban7 (U7) advocates for a continuous dialogue between the G7 nations and municipal actors represented by national associations and supported by international city networks. It addresses the G7 Presidency and is moved forward by a strong urban alliance. The U7 Group is steered by the U7 Secretariat, consisting of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and the Global Parliament of Mayors (GPM). The city association from the country leading the G7 that year fulfills the role of chair and liaison with the G7 presidency for the group. In 2025, under Canada’s G7 Presidency, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) fulfills that role
About ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 125 countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low-emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. ICLEI Europe provides members in Europe, the Middle East and West Asia with a voice on European and international stages, a platform to connect with peers, and tools to drive positive environmental, economic and social change. ICLEI Europe works closely with an extended network of local and regional governments and partners on a broad range of topics.
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 125 countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low-emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. ICLEI Europe provides members in Europe, the Middle East and West Asia with a voice on European and international stages, a platform to connect with peers, and tools to drive positive environmental, economic and social change. ICLEI Europe works closely with an extended network of local and regional governments and partners on a broad range of topics.
