Global Parliament of Mayors 2025 explores challenges, opportunities of cities

The annual summit of the Global Parliament of Mayors (GPM 2025) in Braga, Portugal hosted the visionary leaders from across the world, united by a shared commitment to shaping the future of their cities and communities.

This summit represented an invaluable opportunity to discuss the pressing worldwide challenges and opportunities that urban areas face today. By bringing together diverse perspectives and innovative inputs, they can empower each other to build more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable cities for future generations.

The dialogue and collaboration fostered at the event has the potential to inspire transformative change in cities of all sizes. The summit focused on GPM’s four pillars: Delivering Democracy, Empowering Cities, Caring Cities, and The Power of Culture & Art.

Addressing the gathering at the event, Haji Zubair Ali, Mayor of Pakistani city of Peshawar, extended his heartfelt gratitude and sincere appreciation to the organisers of the Global Parliament of Mayors Summit for creating this powerful platform where city leaders from across the globe gather not just to speak, but to act.

He added that he joined this gathering with a deep intention to bring back to his city the best ideas, the strongest partnerships, and the most effective solutions for the well-being and prosperity of Peshawar.

"As mayors, we are the first responders, the first listeners, and often, the last defenders of democracy and dignity. And yet, too often, we are left without the tools, voice, or authority to fully realise the dreams of our citizens."

He proposes three strategic actions to strengthen local government at the grassroots level:

Legal Empowerment of Local Governments: We must pursue constitutional and legal reforms that guarantee true political, administrative, and fiscal autonomy to city governments. Let local governments not be extensions of bureaucracy, but engines of innovation and guardians of democracy.

Financial Access and Resource Mobilisation

Cities must have direct access to funds—national, international, and climate-related—with the capacity to generate local revenues transparently. Let us build strong, accountable systems so that cities can finance their own futures.

Grassroots Participation and Inclusive Governance: A city belongs to all its people. Let us build mechanisms that ensure participatory governance—from youth councils to neighborhood platforms—especially focusing on including women, marginalized communities, and the next generation of leaders.

"Together, we can shift the narrative—from cities as passive recipients of policy to cities as producers of peace, progress, and planetary solutions," he concluded.