On April 27-28 2023, MYCP had the opportunity to attend the the inaugural Cities Summit of the Americas in Denver, Colorado, USA. The Cities Summit convened hundreds of Mayors and local government representatives, civil society, businesses, and activists from across the Americas to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing cities in the region. In the associated Youth Summit, 350 young leaders gathered to engage with local government, and to bring a youth perspective to regional challenges and opportunities. Track sessions presented opportunities to come together on intersectional issues including mobility and transportation, housing and safety, energy, climate and environment, and migration.
The conference highlighted the role of local and regional governments in both international processes and regional cooperation. These conversations build on the 2018 Marrakech Mayors Declaration, which laid out local commitments for implementation of the Global Compact on Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees, and the 2022 Los Angeles declaration, with its commitment to transforming migration management in the region. Local and regional governments have a key role to play in traditional multilateralism and international processes. Cities like Bogotá (Colombia), for example, have been very active in global agendas, including voluntary local reviews of the SDGs.
Cities are also at the forefront of welcoming and inclusion, and the conference highlighted Mayors developing humane, holistic and sustainable polices and programs for the reception and integration of newcomers. Mayors from Halifax (Canada), Georgetown (Guyana), Montevideo (Uruguay), Seattle (USA), and many others, expressed their desire to receive refugees, for, in the words of Bruce Harnell, mayor of Seattle, Washington (USA), welcoming refugees “is our greatest opportunity to demonstrate love.” Many highlighted the need to move beyond ideas and values, to a focus on solutions through logistical details, such as staffing offices to process work permits for newcomers.
We had the opportunity to hear from speakers including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and inspiring Mayors from across the Americas. Ukrainian mayors emphasized the need for peace, and a panel of young mayors, including 25-year-old Mayor Alexander Walker-Griffin of Hercules, California (USA), demonstrated the power and potential of young leadership at the local level, encouraging young people to political leadership.
Conversations focused around opportunities for regional cooperation, and how we can mobilize local action to meet global goals. There was recognition of the interrelatedness of challenges, for example the inextricable links between the climate crisis, housing crisis, and forced migration. There was a clear focus on solutions: the need for financing directly to cities and city-led projects, for staffing and programs to support these goals. Finally, leaders also highlighted the need for a lasting cultural shift, shaping positive narratives and creating a community which champions welcoming.
Chiara Moslow, member of MYCP’s Local Government Engagement team, had the opportunity to engage with partners and policy-makers in Denver. MYCP’s attendance highlighted the importance of including youth in decision-making and policy processes at the local level. We had the opportunity to liaise with partners as well as young people working in the field of migration. However, the Summit was also a reminder that even with good intentions, youth participation can fall short of meaningful youth engagement; because the youth track was separated from the main Summit, there was limited opportunity for young people to interact with local leaders and decision makers. MYCP continues to work towards not only youth participation, but meaningful youth inclusion in decision-making.
On the photo: Chiara Moslow (MYCP) with partners Mauricio Pahuara, Fiorella González, Carolina Cuenca, and Carolina Bendezú from Juventud, Política y Desarrollo, a partner organization in Peru
