Mayors from across the United States and Canada are joining their colleagues in Mexico this weekend for a first of its kind summit of North American Mayors. More than 100 mayors from all three nations have come together to address the shared challenges that come with running cities in an increasingly global environment.
Adding to the significance of this remarkable gathering, the summit is being hosted by The Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs, and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will address the international delegation of mayors.
All the mayors in attendance share a common bond: they get things done. More than 80 percent of the population of North America currently resides in cities, both large and small, and increasingly they look to local leaders to provide solutions when progress stalls at the state and national levels.
This summit comes at a time when mayors have to work together to address challenges that transcend city limits. The dialogue that starts with this meeting in Mexico will help mayors better understand and address critical border and trade issues, economic development, public safety and a host of other challenges that mayors face every day.
The United States Conference of Mayors, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Secreteria de Relaciones Exteriores are holding this summit to create an unprecedented opportunity for collaboration and cooperation. Mayors are on the ground working to meet the needs of their cities’ residents. They can’t be bogged down in partisan squabbling, they have to find ways to address the issues facing their cities. By connecting mayors across borders, this summit will help foster an environment that will lead to more innovative solutions from the elected officials who have the best understanding of what really matters to the people living in their communities.
“Mayors from three countries coming together to share our experiences, our vision for the future and our solutions to shared challenges perfectly illustrates why mayors are known for getting things done,” said Conference President Columbia, S.C. Mayor Steve Benjamin. “As mayors, we know we have to work together and we need to produce results. We’re on the frontlines of so many challenges that when an opportunity to roll up our sleeves and work presents itself, we all answer the call.”
While every city is different, the problems cities face are not. The summit isn’t just a place where mayors can come together to share knowledge and experience, it also serves as the foundation for a groundbreaking declaration of continued collaboration and sharing of best practices.