U7 press release (edited)
Representing the Urban7 (U7), Mayor Kizō Hisamoto (Kobe, Japan) joined G7 ministers for urban development in Takamatsu, Kagawa to address pressing issues facing cities. The meeting, which took place from July 7-9, marked the second time that a mayor has directly participated in a G7 ministerial meeting.
At the meeting in Takamatsu, Mayor Hisamoto, who also serves as President of Japan’s Mayors Association of Designated Cities (MADC), presented the perspective of the U7 on issues ranging from the role of local government in protecting peace and democracy to resilience and climate neutrality.
The U7 lauds the G7 ministers for urban development for their decision to include the Urban7 in their meeting and in the preparations for the summit. The U7 was consulted in the drafting of the G7 Sustainable Urban Development Ministers’ Communiqué, which lays out the priorities and commitments of the ministers. In particular, the group offered input on multi-level governance and the importance of greater partnership and cooperation between different levels of government.
In their Communiqué, the ministers explicitly acknowledged, “that cities play an important role, individually and as part of an effective network, in providing innovative, integrated and advanced solutions for these challenges that can enable a just and green transition on the journey to net zero patterns of production and consumption.” Furthermore, the ministers recognised the Urban7 Mayors Declaration, in which mayors laid out their expectations and priorities for the Japanese G7 Presidency. Finally, the ministers highlighted the importance of the engagement of the U7 in the process of planning the meeting.
2023 U7 Group Chair and MADC President Mayor Kizō Hisamoto (Kobe, Japan) said:
“I am pleased that the “U7 Mayors Declaration” was strongly recognised by the G7 ministers, emphasising that cities play an important role in addressing global challenges and promoting multi-level governance, which was clearly reflected in the Communiqué and in the Kagawa-Takamatsu Principles.”
Read the G7 Ministers for Urban Development Communiqué and Kagawa-Takamatsu Principles.
