An official side event to the 2023 UNECE Forum of Mayors, this international initiative aims to discuss and energize cities’ engagement to achieve SDG 16.
The City Diplomacy Lab at Columbia Global Centers | Paris, the United States Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, the Nicosia Initiative promoted by the European Committee of the Regions, and the European and French Chapters of Mayors for Peace are hosting an official side event to the 2023 UNECE Forum of Mayors.
The event, entitled “Urban Peace Dialogues: When Mayors Become Architects of Peace,” is scheduled for October 3 from 13:15 to 14:45 at the H200 auditorium at the Palace of Nations in Geneva. As the title suggests, the event’s primary goal is to initiate a global conversation to identify and discuss the unique added value of mayors and municipalities in achieving and maintaining peace and stability.
Moreover, the event intends to kickstart a global review of the role of cities in the achievement of SDG 16 and their consequential integration in international efforts for peaceful coexistence.
The goals of the event include:
- To foster multilevel dialogue on urban violence and conflict prevention.
- To raise awareness related to the innovative value of conflict prevention practices in urban areas.
- To create a united front of cities actively involved in participatory conflict prevention practices.
Program
Date: October 3, 2023, at 13:15 – 14:45 CEST
Place: H200 Auditorium, Palace of Nations, Geneva
Language: English
Opening remarks:
- Mr. Peter B. Kahn, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Round table (in alphabetical order):
- Ms. Alba Barnusell, Mayor of Granollers and Chair of Mayors for Peace’s European Chapter
- Mr. Mathias De Clercq, Mayor of Ghent and Vice President of Eurocities
- Mr. Albertino Ramaël, Deputy Mayor of Vitry-sur-Seine and representative of Mayors for Peace’s French Chapter
- Mr. Ricardo Rio, Mayor of Braga
- Ms. Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Mayor of Malmö
- Dr. Tobia Zevi, Deputy Mayor of Rome
Q&A session, opened by Ms. Benedetta Oddo, Coordinator, Nicosia Initiative
Closing remarks:
- Dr. Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Founding Director, City Diplomacy Lab at Columbia Global Centers | Paris
Watch the recording
Gallery
Panel and audience at the Palace of Nations 
Opening remarks by Mr. Peter Kahn, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 
Ms. Alba Barnusell, Mayor of Granollers and Chair of Mayors for Peace’s European Chapter 
Mr. Mathias De Clercq, Mayor of Ghent and Vice President of Eurocities 
Ms. Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Mayor of Malmö and Board Member of Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner 
Mr. Ricardo Rio, Mayor of Braga and Chair of the Global Parliament of Mayors 
Dr. Tobia Zevi, Deputy Mayor of Rome 
Mr. Albertino Ramaël, Deputy Mayor of Vitry-sur-Seine and representative of Mayors for Peace’s French Chapter 
Amb. Tassos Kriekoukis, Diplomatic Advisor to the Mayor of Athens 
Dr. Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Founding Director of the City Diplomacy Lab 
Family photo
The event is part of the activities of the City Diplomacy Lab as a UNECE Center of Excellence on City Diplomacy and Sustainable Urban Development and a continuation of the roundtable it organized in April 2022 at the Palais des Nations in partnership with the Permanent Missions of the United States and Italy.