The Urban7
Impact Report2022

Table of Contents

The Urban7 Impact Report 2022

Introduction 3
About the U7 

3Recent Activities 

4Declaration 

6U7 Mayors Summit7
G7 Foreign Ministers’ Statement on
Climate, Environment, Peace and Security8
G7 Development Ministers’ Meeting
Communiqué9
G7 Climate, Energy and Environment
Ministers’ Communiqué9
U7 at the World Urban Forum10
H eads of State Communiqué11

Introduction
The G7 is a forum of seven leading
liberal democracies: Canada, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, the United
Kingdom, and the United States,
as well as the European Union(non-enumerated member). G7
members are united by both theirshared values and their economic
might. These values set the groupapart from other multilateral fora,
enabling its members to commit toambitious policies.
The decisions made by the G7 – on
subjects ranging from trade to theenvironment to public health –have a significant impact on cities
around the world. The Urban7
was established based on theshared conviction of its membersthat policies developed together –by all levels of government –will be better able to address
globalchallenges.
Toooften, national governments
set international agendas,
leaving the potential of
cities untapped. The Urban7
is working to establish a systemof true multi-level governance byengaging directly in the G7 process.

Source: Henning Schacht

Since its launch in 2021 by Core
Cities UK, the U7 has advocatedfor a continuous dialogue between
the G7 nations and municipal
actors. This report will outline theremarkable success of the Urban7
in 2022 and explore what thisprogress could mean for othermulti-lateral processes in the future.

SUDO Meeting in Mannheim11
G7 Ministerial Meeting on Sustainable
Urban Development

12

Urban Development Ministers’Communiqué13
Impact14
U7 National City Networks15

About the U7
The U7 is led by a strong urban alliance,
comprising Deutscher Staedtetag (Associationof German Cities), the Global Parliament ofMayors (GPM) and ICLEI – Local Governments
for Sustainability. The national city networksof the G7 members are at the heart of the U7’s

2022 G7 Urban7 Group2

work, driving the group’s vision and priorities.
Throughout Germany’s G7 presidency in 2022,
the Urban7 was supported by the Federal Ministry
for Economic Cooperation and Development andthe Service Agency Communities in One Worldof Engagement Global.

In collaboration with

Supported by

3

The Urban7 Impact Report 2022

Recent Activities
Throughout 2022, the Urban7 actively
pushed to make the voices of cities
heard in the G7 process.

May 2022
Urban7 publishes U7
Mayors Declaration
Urban7 Mayors
SummitJune 2021
First U7 meetingorganized by Core
Cities UK

January 2022
Germany takes
over G7 Presidency
and publishes
programme

G7 Foreign Ministers
commit to sharing
experience andexpertise acrossnational andsubnational
government
departments
G7 Development
Ministers
acknowledge
important role ofcities and multi-levelgovernance
G7 Climate andEnvironment
Ministers encourage
better coordination
across all levels ofgovernment andacknowledge key roleof cities in just climate
and energy transition

4

September 2022

June 2022
Urban7 Event at theWorld Urban ForumG7 heads of statecommit to developinga joint understandingof good urban
development policy
and to fostering
exchange with cities

July 2022

Mayor Peter Kurz
joins first-evermeeting of G7
Ministers for
Sustainable Urban
Development
on behalf of the
Urban7

Sustainable Urban
Development
Officers gather in
Mannheim to plan
first meeting of
G7 Ministers for
Sustainable Urban
Development

5

The Urban7 Impact Report 2022

Declaration
In order to send a clear message to the G7 about the needs and demands of local governments,
the Urban7 developed the U7 Mayors Declaration. This declaration was drafted by the partnerorganizations and national city networks of the G7 members. The U7 also invited mayors from the
Global South to contribute. Their feedback was important given the impact that the decisions of theG7 have around the world.

In the Declaration, the mayors:

1

Invited the G7 to recognize the U7 as an
official engagement group;

2 Committed to engaging in G7 ministerial
meetings;

3 Invited the G7 to consider and promoteurban diplomacy in foreign anddevelopment policies;

4 Invited the G7 to embrace local selfgovernment;

5 Urged G7 countries to work with local

governments to reach commitments set ininternational agendas like the Paris Climate
Agreement and New Urban Agenda;

7 Invited the G7 to increase national budgets
supporting municipal investments andincrease sustainable urban development
spending in Official Development
Assistance (ODA) and climate funds;

8 Committed to supporting local solidarity,

multilateralism, and action by establishinga strong connection with the U20;

9 Commended cities in Europe fordemonstrating solidarity and support
for cities in Ukraine and invited the G7
to join the U7 in establishing a post-war
development strategy to redevelop andrebuild Ukrainian cities;

6 Invited the G7 to facilitate debt relief and 10 Committed to providing input for the G7
accelerate sustainability investments
globally;

Heads of State Summit in June 2022.

Source: photothek“Cities are the drivers of change for peace,democracy and sustainability. The war in
Ukraine shows once more that freedom,democracy and human rights cannot
be taken for granted. City diplomacy
is a glimmer of hope. That is why theurban perspective needs to be taken
into account when discussing global
challenges. The U7 Mayors Summit today
sends out a clear signal: Cities are ready to
do their share.”Markus Lewe, Mayor of Münster (Germany) and
President of the Association of German Cities“The strong unity among U7 local
government networks; firm and ambitious
positions at the U7 Mayors Declaration;interest and recognition from the G7
Presidency, and solidarity with our partners in the Global South, provide clear
evidence of this remarkable progress.
ICLEI is committed to supporting the
momentum of G7 and connecting withother relevant advocacy opportunities
throughout the year, in order to elevatesustainable urban development andcritical multi-level cooperation in the
global efforts on peace, democracy andsustainability.”Frank Cownie, Mayor of Des Moines (USA), andPresident of ICLEI’s Global Executive Committee“The Urban7 welcomes the unprecedented recognition of the importanceof cities, urban development, and multilevel governance in the G7 Presidency
Programme. We see this as a historic
opportunity. However, the transformative
power of cities, as invoked in the
Programme, can only be harnessed if the
global political system changes to truly
include cities, viewing them not primarily
as an administrative implementation level,
but as a political level in their own right,
co-developing policy programs on an
equal footing.”
Peter Kurz, Mayor of Mannheim (Germany), Chairof the Global Parliament of Mayors and G7 Special
Envoy of the Association of German Cities

U7 Mayors
Summit
On May 3, 2022, mayors came together withhigh-level representatives of the German G7
Presidency to present their declaration anddiscuss the decisive role of cities in achieving
the G7 Presidency’s vision of “progress towards
an equitable world.”
Mayors from each of the G7 members, as well as
the Global South, formulated their expectations
for the G7 Presidency. German State Secretaries
Jochen Flasbarth (Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development) and Dr. Rolf
Bösinger (Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban
Development and Building) reflected on the
mayors’ vision and committed to working
closely with the cities in the G7 process.

The Urban7 Impact Report 2022

G7 Foreign Ministers’
Statement on
Climate, Environment,
Peace and Security
Throughout the G7 process, ministers from themember countries meet to establish common
priorities and make shared commitments. The
outcomes of these meetings are reflected inministerial statements and communiqués.
Excitingly, several key priorities laid out bycity leaders in the U7 Mayors Declaration
were included in these ministerial statements.
In May, the G7 foreign ministers addressed
the importance of multi-level cooperation.
They committed to, “sharing experience andexpertise (internationally and across nationaland subnational government departments)
to shape and deliver coordinated policies andpractices that are inclusive, context and conflictsensitive, gender-responsive, and tailored to local
conditions and needs of stakeholders.”
This acknowledgement of the importance ofworking across all levels of government marks
significant progress toward the Urban7’s goal ofworking at eye-level with national governments.

Source: Henning Schacht

8

G7 Development
Ministers’ Meeting
Communiqué

G7 Climate, Energy
and Environment
Ministers’ Communiqué

On May 19, the G7 development ministers
gathered in Berlin. In their final communiqué,
the ministers acknowledged, “the important roleof cities and local governments in championinga just climate and energy transition, as they are
pivotal in accelerating the transition and making
it socially compatible according to local needs.”

On May 27, the G7 ministers for climate, energy,
and environment emphasized the importanceof cooperation with cities in order to achieve
shared climate goals. The ministers encouraged,“ambitious, Paris-aligned action and collaborationand coordination across all levels and sectorsof government, involving all cities, regions,communities, stakeholders, citizens and businesssectors.” At the same time, they acknowledged,“that the necessary transformation to net zeroand climate resilience will be driven andimplemented to a large extent at local level,
including through initiatives developed by local
governments, city networks such as the Global
Covenant of Mayors, ICLEI and C40, as well as civilsociety and private sector-led initiatives.”

The ministers also recognized, “the importanceof cities in developing and financing sustainableinfrastructure as well as municipal, local andregional governments’ processes for thetransformative shift, collaboration among themand the significant role of central governments insupporting their initiatives.”
Finally, the ministers addressed the core
governance priorities of the Urban7 by expressing support for, “effective multi-levelgovernance, international knowledge sharing,and stronger financial and planning capacities
at the local level.”

The U7 Mayors Declaration outlined the criticalrole that cities must play in the climate andenergy transitions. The ministers’ communiqué
reflected this message clearly: “We acknowledge
the important role of cities, regions and local
governments in implementing a just climate andenergy transition and in making the transitionsocially acceptable in the context of local needs
and environmental conditions. We acknowledge
cities and urban areas are critical global systems
to combat the triple crises of climate change,
biodiversity loss and pollution. At the same time,cities and their residents are vulnerable to climatechange impacts, and we acknowledge the needto reduce vulnerability by increasing adaptive
capacity. Smart, sustainable and resilient cities
can act as a laboratory for a future with net
zero emissions, through the development ofinnovative and sustainable energy solutions
based on the key role of renewable energies,
sustainable mobility, demand side management
and the active participation of energy consumers.”

The Urban7 Impact Report 2022

U7 at the World
Urban Forum

Source: City of Mannheim

Supporters of the U7 came together at theWorld Urban Forum (WUF) in Katowice, Poland
in order to share their message and vision witha broader audience of urban stakeholders. TheWUF is convened by the United Nations Human
Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and brings
together city leaders, national government
representatives, NGOs, academics, and otherurban experts to discuss pressing issues related
to cities.
At the World Urban Forum, the U7 Group helda panel discussion about the Urban7 and thegroup’s vision and expectations for the coming
months and years. Speakers included Mayor
Peter Kurz (Mannheim, Germany) as well
as representatives of the German federal
government. Two mayors from the Global South,
Mayor Jeffferson Koijee (Monrovia, Liberia)
and Mayor Manuel de Araújo (Quelimane,
Mozambique), joined the conversation to
discuss the broader impact of the G7 and theU7. They spoke about the importance of theG7 for their communities, and priorities ofcities in the Global South. The conversation
was moderated by Lina Furch (Association ofGerman Cities).

Heads of State
Communiqué
The Heads of State of the G7 nations came
together in Bavaria, Germany in June 2022.
Their communiqué included groundbreaking
recognition of cities and the importance ofworking together with cities to address global
challenges.
The leaders recognized, “Cities are places ofdiversity and identity, exchange and integration,
creativity, and solidarity. They are crucial to driving
prosperity and ensuring equal opportunities forall. We acknowledge the significant role of cities,
their associations, and networks as actors in ourtransformation towards sustainable development.”

Mayor Peter Kurz was also invited to speak at
the official opening of the German Pavilion as arepresentative of the Urban7. He joined German
Federal Minister for Housing, Urban Development
and Building Klara Geywitz on stage and outlined
the U7’s mission and the importance of multilevel governance in the G7 process.
The World Urban Forum offered the U7 theopportunity to share the group’s messages
widely with a larger public.

Source: Germany at WUF

Source: GIZ - Peter Jülich

Sustainable Urban
Development
Officers (SUDO)The heads of state committed to “foster[ing]exchange among and with cities.” Critically, they Meeting in
acknowledged that cities and urban issues are
not only in the purview of ministers for urban Mannheim
development. They tasked, “relevant Ministers
to develop a joint understanding of good urban
development policy to be adopted at the firstever G7 Ministerial Meeting for Sustainable
Urban Development, and to decide on joint
initiatives for unlocking the full potential of cities
to promote social, cultural, technological, climateneutral, economic, and democratic innovation forthe common good.”

In order to prepare for the G7 Urban Development Ministers Meeting, officers from theministries of the G7 states joined representatives of the Urban7 in Mannheim, Germany.
The group planned the G7 Sustainable Urban
Development Ministers Meeting and worked
to draft the Urban Development Ministers’Communiqué. Mayor Peter Kurz welcomed thegroup to Mannheim with a dinner and exchange
about the important role of cities in the G7
process. Furthermore, two representatives
from the Urban7, from ICLEI and the Associationof German Cities, participated in the planningsessions themselves. The inclusion of the Urban7in the planning process for the ministerial
meeting demonstrated the progress that thegroup has made in pushing for real multi-levelgovernance.

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The Urban7 Impact Report 2022

Historic
Inclusion ofCities in the
G7 Process

Source: Henning Schacht

Mayor Kurz was one of only three participants

G7 Ministerial(along with Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif,
Executive Director, UN-Habitat, and OECD
Meeting on Sustainable Deputy Secretary-General Yoshiki Takeuchi)
in the meeting who was not a representative
Urban Developmentof a G7 member. At the meeting, the mayor
exchanged intensively with the ministers on
topics ranging from climate change to the
One of the Urban7’s most remarkable achieve- rebuilding of Ukraine’s cities.
ments occurred when, for the first time, a mayor
participated at eye-level with ministers in the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz traveled toG7 process. Mayor Peter Kurz represented the Potsdam to speak with the group and discussed
Urban7 at the Meeting of G7 Ministers for Urban the importance of active exchange to strengthen
Development on September 13, 2022.
urban governance.

Source: Henning Schacht„This is an importantmilestone, since it will
only be possible to findsolutions to the global
challenges of our time
if cities are involved.“

Urban
Development
Ministers’Communiqué
The Urban7 Alliance actively contributed to the
Urban Development Ministers’ Communiqué,
which was published directly after the ministers
meeting and lays out exciting new priorities
and commitments. The ministers committed
to “continuing and intensifying dialogues” withurban partners, specifically naming the Urban7
as a key example. Furthermore, the ministers
committed to “increasing the involvement of
cities in the development and implementation ofurban development policies” and acknowledged
that, “good multi-level and multi-stakeholder
cooperation and the participation of allconcerned inhabitants at the local level create
the preconditions for successfully addressing
global challenges.”

Source: Henning Schacht

Mayor Kurz noted that, “The final Communiquéof the ministerial meeting highlights the roleof resilient, sustainable, climate-friendly andpublic good-oriented cities. The Urban7 Mayors’
Declaration and many of our key messages wereparticularly recognized in the communiqué. We
are pleased that the U7 Alliance was also namedin the text by the ministers as an importantpartner. Urban development policy must be
strengthened, and cities must be at the table
when international agreements are reached.
“Potsdam sends the clear signal that only withthe cities – with the local level – will international
policy be able to affect change decisively on the
ground.”Peter Kurz, mayor of Mannheim
Source: Henning Schacht

1213The Urban7 Impact Report 2022

ImpactThe Urban7 brought mayors from across theG7 and around the world together with acommon vision for the involvement of cities in
the G7 process. This vision guided the group’s
engagement throughout the German G7
Presidency, and enabled it to achieve remarkableprogress toward multi-level governance.

The group’s key
accomplishments include:

1 Mayors had a seat at the table in the
G7 Process.

2 Several G7 ministries made written
commitments to engage with cities
and include cities as partners inaddressing global challenges.

3 Japan, which is taking over the G7

Presidency in 2023, has committed
to continuing the urban development
ministerial track, and committed toengaging cities in this process.

4 Cities now have a groundbreaking

model that they can refer to whenpushing for multi-level governanceand co-decision in future multilateralprocesses.

U7 National
City Networks
Federation of Canadian
Municipalities(FCM)

France Urbaine(Urban France)

Deutscher Städtetag(Association of German Cities)

Associazione Nazionale
Comuni Italiani(ANCI, National Association of Italian Municipalities)

Japan Designated City
Mayors’ Association(JDCMA)

Core Cities UK
Source: Henning Schacht

The United States Conferenceof Mayors(USCOM)

Eurocities1415

www.g7u7.org

The City of Mannheim is solely responsible for the content of this publication; the positions presented herein do notreflect the views of Engagement Global or the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Contact Details
City of Mannheim
Office for EU Affairs
and Global Sustainability
Rathaus E568159 Mannheim
Germany
T +49 (0)621 293-2011
internationales@mannheim.demannheim.de/stadt-gestalten/
europa-und-internationales

2022 G7 Urban7 Group

Deutscher Staedtetag
Department for
European andInternational Affairs

ICLEI European
Secretariat GmbH

Gereonstraße 18-32
50670 Cologne
Germany

T +49 761 36 89 2-0
F +49 761 36 89 2-19
iclei-europe@iclei.org

Leopoldring 379098 Freiburg

T +49 (0)221 3771-310
lina.furch@staedtetag.de

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