ABOUT
The fifth meeting of the UN Forum of Mayors will take place at the Palais des Nations, in Geneva, on 6-7 October 2025, immediately prior to the 86th session of Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management (8–10 October 2025) and its ministerial segment on housing scheduled for 8 October 2025.
The meeting will address the 2025 session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (New York, 14-23 July 2025) themes, namely: good health and well-being (SDG 3); gender equality (SDG 5); and decent work and economic growth (SDG 8); Climate finance mechanisms; Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs); Housing related challenges.
For additional information, please refer to the programme details.
BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS MEETINGS
The Fourth UN Forum of Mayors’ meeting took place on 30 September and 1 October 2024, a few days after the UN Summit of the Future in New York (22-23 September 2024). It gathered Mayors and Deputy Mayors worldwide to deliberate on the ramifications for local authorities of the Pact of the Future, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 22 September 2024. Mayors highlighted the ways in which the Pact is relevant to their cities and how they can contribute to implementing it.
The Forum brought together around 400 participants representing cities and member States from across the pan-European region, North America and beyond, the United Nations Regional Commissions and specialized organizations, non-governmental organizations and academia.
The Forum adopted the outcome statement “Local and regional governments for a renewed and inclusive multilateralism for a sustainable future”. Through this outcome statement the mayors encourage States to consider the UN Forum of Mayors as an effective model for cities from all UN regions to exchange knowledge, best practices and local solutions and to participate in the work of the UN on the localisation of SDGs as well as other global agenda and challenges; and request the secretariat of the Forum of Mayors to transmit it to the United Nations Secretary-General as a contribution to strengthening the engagement of local and regional governments in UN intergovernmental bodies and processes, including through the provision of a formal status for local and regional governments in the United Nations.
The Third UN Forum of Mayors’ meeting, under the theme “Urban regeneration towards 2030”, took place in Geneva, on 2-3 October 2023 immediately prior to the 84th session of the Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management. Representatives of 60 cities were present and shared their experiences on urban regeneration and resilience, finding solutions that simultaneously meet the needs and aspirations of their residents, hedge against disasters and rise to the climate change challenge in a manner that supports the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The Forum developed recommendations and principles related to urban regeneration inviting member States to endorse the Principles and to involve cities and facilitate their participation in relevant UN processes, to foster a renewed and inclusive multilateralism.
The Second UN Forum of Mayors’ meeting took place in Geneva on 4-5 April 2022, back-to-back with the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (RFSD). It was attended by around 500 online and in-person participants representing cities and member States from across the UNECE region and beyond, the United Nations Regional Commissions and specialized organizations, non-governmental organizations and academia. Mayors and vice mayors from 44 cities shared their experiences in finding people-centred solutions that simultaneously meet the needs and aspirations of their citizens, hedge against disasters and rise to the challenge of climate change in a manner that ensures the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
UNECE is committed to giving cities a voice. The Day of Cities (Geneva, 8 April 2019) brought together fifty mayors and deputy mayors from the region for sharing best practices and defining a new vision for urban sustainability. The success of that event and the pressing sustainability challenges called for further and longer-term actions involving city leaders. Therefore, to continue to welcome the local decision-makers to the multilateral stage, UNECE convened the First UN Forum of Mayors’ meeting (Geneva, 6 October 2020). The Forum focused on strengthening local government preparedness and response to emergencies, climate change, and disasters. Key discussions highlighted the role of cities in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting sustainable urban development, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mayors from across the region shared experiences on resilience strategies and called for greener, fairer cities post-pandemic. The event also reinforced the importance of multilateral cooperation between local and international actors, emphasizing that cities are at the forefront of global sustainability efforts.”
VENUE
Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
Registration
To participate in the Fifth meeting of the UN Forum of Mayors, all participants should register online as early as possible and no later than 8 September 2025 via the following link: https://indico.un.org/event/1011941/ . Registration is mandatory to access the UN premises and to be recorded in the list of participants. In case you do not yet have an Indico account, you will need to first create one before registering. If you encounter difficulties in registering, please email forum-of-mayors@un.org.
To attend UNECE meetings at the Palais des Nations, you need to register in advance online through the following link: https://indico.un.org/event/1011941/

Accommodation
Hotel reservations and other arrangements should be made well in advance.
The secretariat is unable to recommend hotels in Geneva. To identify hotels with available rooms, you may search these websites: https://www.geneve.com/en/ and https://www.geneve.com/en/plan-stay/where-to-stay/find-your-hotel.
Arriving in Geneva
Delegates travelling by air will arrive at Geneva International Airport (Cointrin), and those travelling by train at Geneva main station (Cornavin).
Many hotels provide a free public transport pass valid for the duration of your stay. A route planner for public transport is available at https://www.tpg.ch/. (Taxis are also available directly outside the airport and station).
Reaching the Palais des Nations
In Geneva, Unireso public transport tickets must be purchased prior to boarding a tram, bus, or ferry. Ticket machines are available at most stops. Travel cards or passes can be purchased at the main TPG centres (Rive, Cornavin, Lancy-Pont-Rouge and Bachet de Pesay). Please note that tickets are not available on the bus itself. Hotels, youth hostels, or campsites typically offer a Geneva Transport Card, which allows the use of public transport in Geneva free of charge during the period of stay.
Palais des Nations transit stops are “Appia” (Pregny Gate) and “Nations” (Peace Gate).
Access from Cornavin railway station:
Bus lines 8, 20, 60 (“Appia” stop)
Bus line 5 or tram line 15 (“Nations” stop)
Access from Cointrin airport: Bus line 5 (“Nations” stop)
Other bus lines with a stop at “Nations”: Bus lines 11 and 22
Access the meeting venue
The Fifth meeting of the UN Forum of Mayors will be held in the Conference room Tempus.
Access to the meeting venue will only be granted to registered participants upon presentation of a valid ID or passport and a digital badge. Please note that Palais des Nations issues digital badges to participants at Pregny Gate (14 Avenue de la Paix); the information note on digital badging should be observed in advance. Your digital badge and registration confirmation will be sent via email. If you do not receive the email, please check your spam folder. If your registration has been confirmed, you may also log in to the INDICO registration page for the meeting: https://indico.un.org/event/1011941/ and click on "Get UN Event Pass" to obtain your digital badge. Please download the digital badge to your mobile phone or other mobile device. Arrive early at the gate to allow sufficient time for the security clearance.
Delegates are only allowed to enter the Palais with what is considered carry-on luggage (e.g. computer bags, rucksacks, and handbags). No luggage storage is available. Delegates remain responsible for their belongings at the Palais throughout their stay.
The map of the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG) with directions to the meeting room Tempus (Temporary infrastructure for conferences) is available on the webpage https://www.ungeneva.org/en/about/practical-information/map.
Smoking is only permitted in authorized smoking shelters, clearly marked and signposted for that purpose. Their locations may be found on the campus map, here: https://iseek.un.org/article/reminder-about-unogs-smoking-policy.
Pregny and Peace Gates will be open for pedestrians on working days between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. The Nations Gate is closed due to the construction of the future Visitors Centre. Access to the Palais will not be possible outside of these hours.
Working languages
Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, French, and Russian during all plenary sessions.
Timing
UN meetings (plenary sessions) run from 10:00-13:00 hours and from 15:00-18:00 hours.
Meals
Participants are responsible for their own meals during the meeting. All options available at the Palais des Nations can be found at the following site: Palais Food Options | The United Nations Office at Geneva (ungeneva.org).
Please note that tap water at the Palais des Nations is safe to drink. As there will be no drinking water served in the meeting room, we encourage delegates to bring reusable bottles or containers for tap water.
Receptions
6 October, as of 18:15: A cocktail reception for all the participants will be hosted by the city of Glasgow, United Kingdom.
About Switzerland/Geneva
Geneva is the second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous of the French-speaking Romandy. It is the capital of the Canton of Geneva and a centre for international diplomacy. Geneva hosts the highest number of international organizations in the world.
Time zone: UTC + 2 hours
Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF)
Electrical power plugs and sockets are unique to Switzerland (type J, three-pin, 230 V, 50 Hz; i.e. different from the EU two-pin plug): though slim two-pin plugs (type C) will fit.
Kindly note that chargers/adapters will not be provided at the venue, please bring your personal charger and, as needed an adapter for the Swiss sockets, for your respective devices. Adapters can also be purchased at the S.A.F.I. Shop at Building S, level -1.
Internet access
Wifi access will be provided in the meeting room (no password required). During the breaks, delegates may use computers with internet access in the UN Library.
Contact the secretariat
For any questions or inquiries, kindly contact Mr. Matyas Kalan, Secretary of Forum of Mayors at matyas.kalan@un.org with a copy to forum-of-mayors@un.org. For any difficulties concerning registration via Indico, please contact; monica.macdougall@un.org; and forum-of-mayors@un.org.
For meeting documentation and information, please visit: https://unece.org/info/events/event/399672.
More practical information is available at: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/about/practical-information.
Our Team






Our partners, the Regional Economic Commissions within the UN system - Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Carribean (ECLAC)
Our Partner - Global Cities Hub
Our Partner – United Cities and Local Governments
Our Partners - City of Geneva and Canton of Geneva
With the support of the following donors:



