Local Action, Global Scale: GA at the UN Forum of Mayors

In October 2026, the Sixth meeting of the UN Forum of Mayors was held in Geneva, Switzerland.   The Forum of Mayors allows cities to come together as they define a new vision for urban sustainability.  This year’s theme, Cities Delivering for a Sustainable Future  brought together over 70 mayors from around the world to, “exchange experiences, share best practices, and adopt an outcome document reflecting shared priorities, [and] emphasizing the essential role of local governments in delivering a sustainable future”.   These goals are in alignment with the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (July, 2026) and particularly sustainable development goal (SDG) 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).  As the Global Alliance increases its focus on local impact in a global context, the Forum was an important programming milestone for two reasons (1) it showcased a major ‘win’ for mental health, as our ongoing international advocacy efforts on centering mental health and well-being within and across all systems and settings are being recognized, and as a result, I was an invited speaker, and (2) the Forum provided an opportunity to engage with a new audience and stakeholders within different levels of influence.

Mental health, Safe Streets and Inclusion: Moving Toward Resilient Cities

The official side event on opening day, Inclusive and Resilient Cities: A Dialogue with Mayors, was jointly organized by the UN Global Disability Fund (UN GDF), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).  Its overarching purpose was to better understand cities’ priorities, needs and opportunities for advancing disability inclusion. It was aptly raised during this session, that if cities have been designed for inaccessibility, we must be able to design them for accessibility.  While not a key topic area of the Forum overall, the recognition that mental health and well-being are a component to safer streets, as exemplified with this opportunity, is a significant achievement.   

Panelists included: Dr. Ola Abualghaib, Director, UN GDF; Dario Liguti, Director of the Energy, Housing and Land Management Division at the UNECE; Clara Muzzio, Deputy Chief of Government (Vice Mayor) of Buenos Aires City, Argentina; James Njoroge Muchiri, Deputy Governor of Nairobi, Kenya; Himgauri Balasaheb Aher, Mayor of Nashik, India; Imad Rabah, Member of the Ramallah Municipal Council, Palestine; Celine van Till, two-time Paralympic Silver Medallist and four-time UCI Para-Cycling Road World Champion in the Women’s T2 category, on behalf of the UCI and the Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety; Nicola Pini, Mayor from Locarno, Switzerland; Adil Karaismailoğlu, Chairman of the Public Works, Urban Planning, Transportation and Tourism Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye; Sumith Dassanayake, Deputy Mayor of Colombo, Sri Lanka and myself, representing the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice.

Asked to speak about safe, accessible and inclusive streets, organizers summarized that, “inclusion [must occur] from the beginning: A clear message emerged: designing streets and infrastructure for all users from the start is more effective than retrofitting barriers once they have already been built. The Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice reminded participants that inclusion is not limited to the physical environment: mental health and well-being cut across mobility, housing, public space and service decisions, and should be integrated into how cities understand resident well being and participation.”

Highlights from the Forum of Mayors

The UN Forum of Mayors, has been recognized as a UN body that is pivotal for political reach and opportunity.  While the Global Alliance continues to participate in many UN events and activities (i.e. High Level Meetings, UNGA, WHO Civil Society Commission, special meetings of other UN Funds, Programmes regional and specialized agencies), this was the first time that we have focussed internationally at the city/local levels of influence.  This provided an opportunity to broaden our engagement and advocacy efforts.

Key Takeaways:

1. Action is possible, at the city level, and directly impacts individual livelihoods. Globally,  cities, which are home to more than half of the world’s population and are projected to reach almost 70% of the world’s population by 2050. The Forum created an environment that was rich in complexity and honoured the potential for achieving greatness in every day life.

• All stakeholders within the broader UN system ought to champion localized action as an accelerator toward SDG achievements.  The Global Cities Hub, which connects local and regional governments to the UN and international organizations described this as an essential component to multilateral processes.  The Forum provides a framework, matched to the SDGs and built for meaningful and shared dialogues, measuring effectiveness, sharing evidence, and strengthening global systems.

• There is a keen interest in lessons learned and shared findings with creativity being a key component. Reaffirming the commitment to and understanding that culture, creativity, innovation and knowledge are essential drivers of sustainable urban development, social inclusion, local economic resilience and the localization of SDG 11 was showcased through thoughtful dialogue.

Examples included global mapping of street art, as an emerging sector with potential for scaling up opportunities associated with tourism and social connection, and responding to extreme heat by making museums and galleries free for all as relief centers when temperatures rise above certain thresholds.

Laia Gasch, Director of the World Cities Culture Forum described culture as the golden thread, which creates connection and trust. In itself, culture is part of the legacy of cities (and communities) as their infrastructure, representing a shift away from the old paradigm when culture was a low priority and cut from budgets, and toward a new paradigm appreciating the value of culture, and its role in identity and inclusion.

• Mental health and well-being remain largely excluded from these types of forums and meetings, outside of specific discussions on SDG 3 (Health and Well-being). For too long, mental health and well-being have been siloed as a ‘health care’ issue rather than an all-of-society responsibility and opportunity, and therefore the inclusion of well-being focussed indicators have largely been under prioritized.   However, with an interest in shared findings, creativity and action, the Forum of Mayors presents a strong opportunity to elevate the importance of centering mental health and well-being within and among all systems and settings.   The Hague, for example, shared their policy-related initiative to respond to two unique challenges, social isolation for seniors and housing shortages for students.  Their innovative response, supported by policies, integrates the strength of relationships, social connection and existing infrastructure, by matching low-cost living spaces for students in senior housing complexes, with student-run social engagement and activities programming for seniors.  Representatives from Colombo, Sri Lanka shared their current priority to develop a new waste management strategy to respond to the current locally identified crisis, which will be based on dignity.

Future opportunities: What’s next?

As the Director of Policy and Programming, I lead our international advocacy efforts. Our impact in 2026 has been significant at multiple levels, including the UN Forum of Mayors, the Civil Society 7 (informing the G7) and the Civil Society 20 (informing the G20). As 2027 approaches, we reaffirm our ongoing commitment to centering mental health and well-being within and across all systems and settings. It is hopeful that a renewed global focus on health and well-being will occur to coincide with the review of SDG 3 and advocacy moments leading up to the High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, providing opportunities to advance this priority. Our efforts will continue to connect international advocacy with local action, championing mental health and well-being (from promotion and prevention through to recovery) as a shared responsibility and an essential part of inclusive, sustainable communities.