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Mayor Jan van Zanen meets with UN Secretary-General António Guterres

The power of local governments to tackle global challenges

2 min 12 Feb 2025

Mayor Jan van Zanen of The Hague, in his capacity as President of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York. During this encounter, Guterres emphasised the growing importance of local governance in addressing global challenges such as climate change, migration, and international conflicts.

The meeting took place at the invitation of Guterres, who acknowledged the crucial role of cities and municipalities in achieving a sustainable, peaceful, and inclusive future. In September 2024, the UN formalised this recognition in the Pact for the Future, emphasising the need for greater involvement of local governments in international decision-making. Guterres reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to strengthening municipalities’ positions within global policymaking and called on UCLG to contribute to this effort.

“I am pleased that the UN recognises the power of local governance. Municipalities must be more involved in UN decisions, as local leaders directly witness the impact of international conflicts, climate issues, and inequality. They understand what is needed to ensure communities function well and can quickly assess what works and what doesn’t.”

Mayor Van Zanen

UCLG

As the international city of peace and justice, The Hague plays an active role in city diplomacy and hosted the international UCLG conference in October 2024. This event brought together hundreds of mayors and local leaders to discuss the role of local governments in tackling global challenges. City diplomacy enables cities to collaborate and share knowledge directly and is becoming increasingly important in a world where many issues transcend national borders and have a direct impact on urban areas.

Pact for the Future

Guterres confirmed that additional steps will be taken to structurally involve local governments in the implementation of the Pact for the Future. The aim is to reach further agreements on this matter during the UN General Assembly in September 2025. Collaboration with national governments remains essential in this process.

THIMUN

Additionally, Mayor Van Zanen presented a letter from participants of THIMUN, The Hague’s annual International Model United Nations conference, in which young people call on the UN Secretary-General to take action. This contribution underscores the importance of including future generations in international decision-making.

While international relations have traditionally been the domain of national governments, transnational challenges such as climate change and migration have given cities an increasingly prominent role on the global stage. Worldwide, local governments are taking the initiative in international cooperation through city networks, lobbying efforts, and knowledge exchange.

The Hague hosted the first world conference on city diplomacy in 2008 and continues to strengthen its diplomatic role. The city actively engages in international cooperation on topics such as sustainability, security, resilience, good governance, and human rights. Through these efforts, The Hague contributes to the global dialogue on peace and justice.