Major City Leadership and Governance: Increased Power for Greater Accountability

Local governments—starting with metropolises—have established themselves as stakeholders with a vital role to play in addressing the global challenges of the 21st century. While the aim is to fully embrace this role, cities worldwide are now looking for the necessary independence, powers and flexibility to exercise these new responsibilities.

The fight against climate change, sustainable development, increased social inequality, the administration of living together, preventing radicalization and welcoming refugees: these are the many cross-border challenges for which cities are often the first, and perhaps the most effective, to offer solutions.

How can we reconcile cities’ governance and status within this new reality? This will be one of the key questions at the XII Metropolis World Congress from June 19 to 22.

A new type of leadership

At the opening of the event, more than 1,000 delegates, including approximately 100 mayors, will gather for a plenary session under the theme: “A Changing World: The New Leadership of Metropolises.”

Mayors Denis Coderre of Montreal and Manuela Carmena of Madrid will be among the panellists tackling the question. Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, and experts Jaana Remes and Jonathan Woetzel of McKinsey & Company will also take part in the panel.

Throughout the week, participants will discuss the responsibilities that should be allocated to metropolises, as well as their funding and interaction with various levels of government. Transparency and citizen participation will also be highlighted in the discussions.

Urban diplomacy

Finally, the Metropolis World Congress will actively examine the expanded role of cities on the international stage, specifically as it relates to the New Urban Agenda and the advent of urban diplomacy.

A more global world is a more local world. These two concurrent movements will converge like never before in Montreal from June 19 to 22, as thousands of local stakeholders from every continent attempt to define tomorrow’s world.