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THEME PAPER
URBAN 20: A KEY INGREDIENT FOR GLOBAL
TRANSFORMATION
DURING INDIA’S G-20 PRESIDENCY
HITESH VAIDYA The article gives an overview of diplomacy forum that strives
the Urban20 (U20) engagement to establish a practice of
group under the G20, its engagement among cities
objectives, history and current from G20 countries to
focus and priorities under develop a collective message
India’s G20 presidency. Faced that emphasises the role of
with critical global crises such cities in taking forward the
as climate change, forums such sustainable development
“Urban20 is a unique engagement as G20 have a major role to play agenda. U20 was launched
group in the entire spectrum of in steering intergovernmental
G20 working streams. While dialogue, policies and actions in December 2017 at the ‘One
other working groups and towards sustainable and Planet Summit’ in Paris under
engagement groups have experts the leadership of the Mayors
or representatives of specific equitable development to go of Buenos Aires and Paris
organisations, U20 mirrors the hand in hand with economic with C40 and UCLG as joint
G20 itself as members of this growth. Cities exemplify this conveners. Since 2017, there
group are actually representing dichotomy and can be a powerful have been five cycles of the
people from cities of G20 force to take up this role as U20 chaired by Buenos Aires
countries. In fact, with the focus the environmental impact of (2018), Tokyo (2019), Riyadh
of India’s G20 presidency on ‘jan urbanisation and urban living is (2020), Milan and Rome
bhagidari’ i.e., taking G20 to the largest and at the same time, (2021), Jakarta and West Java
the people, the U20 engagement global economic growth is also (2022) and Ahmedabad for
group is the apt vehicle to do concentrated in cities. The U20 the 6 cycle U20 (2023).
th
exactly that and bring forth the engagement group is therefore at
voice of the people to the global a stage where it can shape global The larger objective of U20 is
platform.” agendas. to raise the profile of urban
issues in the G20 agenda and
G20 AND U20 take the unique perspective
The Urban 20 (U20) of cities to the global forum.
Engagement Group was U20 also strives to establish
created under the G20 to collaboration and cooperation
Key Words: G20, U20, India, focus and amplify the voice of among cities through
Transformation, SDGs cities and foreground urban knowledge sharing with
issues in the negotiations specific focus on challenges
Mr. Hitesh Vaidya, (hvaidya@niua.org) and decisions of the Heads of climate change and
is Director, National Institute of Urban of Governments of G20 Sustainable Development
Affairs, New Delhi. countries. U20 is a city Goals (SDGs).
April, 2023, Volume 24. No.1 - SHELTER 3
