10 July 2023 – Representing the Urban7, 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. In 2022, Mayor Peter Kurz (Mannheim, Germany) represented the Urban7 at the G7 Ministers Meeting for Sustainable Urban Development in Potsdam, Germany. At the meeting in Takamatsu, Mayor Hisamoto, who also serves as President of the Japan Designated City Mayors’ Association (JDCMA), presented the perspective of the Urban7 on issues ranging from the role of local government in protecting peace and democracy to resilience and climate neutrality.
The Urban7 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 Urban7 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.
Representing the U7 Secretariat as Chair of the Global Parliament of Mayors, Mayor Peter Kurz (Mannheim, Germany) said, “For the second year in a row, G7 ministers for urban development have included the Urban7 as a partner in their discussions and setting shared commitments. I was honored to participate in the ministers meeting last year, and am pleased that Mayor Hisamoto was able to engage actively with the ministers under the Japanese G7 Presidency. I am optimistic that this format will become a tradition that will ensure better policy and thus better outcomes across the G7.”
Read the full press release here.