More than 200 participants from Eastern Partnership cities have convened in Batumi, Georgia, for a two-day urban forum, organised by the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) of the European Commission, UNDP and partners. It takes place on 4 and 5 October.

The Future-Fit Cities forum focused on tackling complex municipal issues by building green, inclusive and resilient cities capable of leveraging public-private finances to boost growth and innovation.

The discussions addressed critical issues, including leadership challenges and financial sustainability. Participants, including Eastern Partnership mayors, had the opportunity to accelerate their knowledge and expand their partnership network within the Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) community and beyond.

Lejla Sadiku, Knowledge and Innovation team leader at the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub, told the forum that cities were the engines driving global prosperity but also bore the weight of 75% of resource consumption and 60-80% of greenhouse gases.

The M4EG Facility draws on the Mayors for Economic Growth Initiative, launched and funded by the European Union (EU) in 2017. Since 2021, the EU-funded M4EG Facility has been managed by UNDP in close cooperation with the EU, local authorities and a range of partners.

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