The U20’s mission is to connect the G20 with cities, creating a space for debate on priority issues such as the economy, climate and development. At the event held in Brazil, the BRICS Policy Center (BPC) played an active role, contributing to the advancement of these discussions.
The U20’s mission is to connect the G20 with cities, creating a space for debate on priority issues such as the economy, climate and development. At the event held in Brazil, the BRICS Policy Center (BPC) played an active role, contributing to the advancement of these discussions.
The initiative was launched in 2018 in Buenos Aires as a space for political articulation focused on urban issues in the global context. In 2024, under Brazil’s presidency of the G20, the U20 took place in the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
The event is organized by the C40 Cities Group – a global network of mayors committed to climate action – and the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the world’s largest network of local and regional governments.
BPC researchers took part in panel discussions over the two days of the U20 in Rio de Janeiro.
On the first day, Paulo Esteves took part in the panel “Financing Urban Sustainable Transformation: The G20 Sustainable Finance Agenda and Local Governments”, which discussed financing strategies for adapting cities to the climate crisis.
On the second day, Sérgio Veloso took part in the panel “Inclusive Urban Strategies: Bridging Research and Community Action”, organized in partnership with the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (South Africa) and the Papo Reto Institute. The discussion focused on ways to connect academic research and community action, proposing inclusive solutions to contemporary urban challenges.
In 2025, under South Africa’s presidency of the G20, the U20 will be held in Johannesburg, a city that will also host the G20 summit.