Global Parliament of Mayors

What Global Parliament of Mayors does

The Global Parliament of Mayors (GPM) is a nonprofit international governance body founded in 2016 and headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, registered with Dutch ANBI (public benefit) status. GPM serves as a membership-based convener of mayors from cities across all continents, with the stated mission of positioning mayors and city networks as equal partners in global governance. The organization is governed by an Executive Committee (currently chaired by Mayor Bryan K. Barnett of Rochester Hills, Michigan), an Advisory Committee (chaired by Ian Klaus), and a General Meeting, with day-to-day operations managed by Executive Director Rainer Kern and a Secretariat of approximately nine staff.

GPM's product portfolio consists of convening programs (Annual Summits hosted in Palermo 2021, Katowice 2022, Skopje 2023, Braga 2025; the GPM City Dialogue monthly webinar series), policy initiatives (DeCiDE project on democratic participation with Human Rights Cities Network; Global Declaration of Mayors for Democracy; Mayors' Declaration on Financing; Networks Against Hate Declaration), the Urban7 alliance (now formally a G7 Engagement Group), the Virtual Parliament Platform (mayors-app.com), and the Dr. Benjamin Barber Global Cities Award.

GPM's revenue model combines annual membership fees from mayor and city members, event-related revenue, and project-based grants — most notably EU funding for the DeCiDE initiative. Distribution is direct-to-mayor through field outreach and partnership channels via allied city networks including ICLEI, Strong Cities Network, CityNet, and Bilbao Metropoli 30. GPM generates approximately 100 participants at peak annual summits and has secured endorsements from 200+ mayors across five continents.

Name

Global Parliament of Mayors

Legal name

Global Parliament of Mayors

Website

https://globalparliamentofmayors.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Global Parliament of Mayors is a nonprofit governance body founded in 2016 and headquartered in The Hague that convenes mayors worldwide through annual summits, webinars, policy declarations, and the Urban7 G7 Engagement Group to elevate cities as equal partners in global governance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Mayoral Governance Network

NAICS

Executive Offices (92111), National Security and International Affairs (9281), Other General Government Support (921190)

SIC

Foreign Governments (8888)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Governance, Public Financial Management & Service Delivery Reform (BPADAEAD), Urban & Regional Planning (Land Use, Zoning, Master Planning) (BPAIANAD)

Keywords

• Mayoral governance network
• Global city leadership
• Urban governance advocacy
• Municipal policy cooperation
• Mayor membership organization

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The GPM operates a membership fee structure for mayors and cities joining the organization. Annual membership fees contribute to the operational costs of the secretariat and the organization's programming.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue generated through annual summits, webinars, and conference events that bring together mayors and city network representatives from around the world.
3. Project Grants: The DeCiDE project is funded by the European Union. The organization receives grant funding for specific initiatives such as the DeCiDE project (Boost Democratic Participation in Cities to Recharge Democracy in Europe) implemented in partnership with the Human Rights Cities Network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Global Parliament of Mayors (GPM) is an international membership-based governance body of, by, and for mayors from all continents. It convenes mayors through annual summits, webinars, and a virtual collaboration platform, develops policy declarations on democracy, human rights, and urban resilience, and operates the Urban7 alliance to integrate mayoral perspectives into G7 processes.

Product overview

Global Parliament of Mayors (GPM) is a governance body of, by, and for mayors from all continents with a vision of making mayors, their cities, and networks equal partners in global governance for an inclusive and sustainable world. GPM operates as a membership-based network organization rather than a software product company. Its portfolio consists of convening programs (Annual Summits, GPM City Dialogue Webinar Series), policy initiatives (DeCiDE Project, Global Declaration of Mayors for Democracy, Networks Against Hate Declaration), the Urban7 Alliance for G7 engagement, the Virtual Parliament Platform for digital collaboration, and the Dr. Benjamin Barber Global Cities Award for recognizing mayoral leadership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Summits Annual convening events bringing together mayors, city network leaders, and international organization representatives to discuss global urban governance priorities. Recent editions hosted in Braga (2025), Skopje (2023), Katowice (2022), and Palermo (2021).
• GPM City Dialogue Webinar Series Monthly interactive webinar series featuring mayors, experts, and thought leaders discussing pressing urban issues with keynote speakers and moderated discussions, hosted by Prof. Dr. Eric Corijn.
• DeCiDE Project Joint initiative with the Human Rights Cities Network (HRCN) supported by the European Union, focused on boosting democratic participation in cities to recharge democracy in Europe. Addresses non-discrimination, access to social and cultural services, and democratic participation.
• Virtual Parliament Platform Digital platform at mayors-app.com for virtual collaboration and engagement among member mayors, providing ongoing connectivity between convening events.
• Dr. Benjamin Barber Global Cities Award Prestigious annual award recognizing mayors for outstanding contributions to global urban governance and city leadership. Past recipients include Mayor Ricardo Rio (2025), Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe (2023), and Ukrainian Mayors (2022).
• Urban7 Alliance Coalition representing G7 cities in global governance discussions, formally recognized as a G7 Engagement Group under the French G7 Presidency in 2026. Organizes U7 Mayors' Summits aligned with G7 presidencies.
• Mayors' Declarations Policy declarations including the Global Declaration of Mayors for Democracy (endorsed by 200 mayors from five continents), the Mayors' Declaration on Financing, and the Networks Against Hate Declaration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Urban7 (U7) formally recognized as official G7 Engagement Group under French G7 Presidency in 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Human Rights Cities Network (HRCN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2024The GPM and HRCN are joint leaders of the DeCiDE project ('Boost Democratic Participation in Cities to Recharge Democracy in Europe'), a European Union-funded initiative focused on monitoring human rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights at the local level. The partnership includes joint webinars, city monitoring frameworks, and collaborative policy development.
• Strong Cities NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2024GPM and Strong Cities Network signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative in Bratislava to support mayors and local governments in addressing hate, extremism, polarization, and crime while promoting social cohesion and human rights. The partnership includes regular exchange of information, joint conferences, and quarterly meetings to evaluate progress.
• ICLEI - Local Governments for SustainabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICLEI is part of the U7 Secretariat alongside GPM, working to integrate local and regional government perspectives into G7 discussions. Together they organized the U7 Mayors' Summit and coordinate urban engagement with G7 processes. ICLEI brings expertise in sustainability and urban environmental policy.
• CityNetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGPM and CityNet formed a strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding signed at CityNet's 44th Annual Meeting. The collaboration aims to bolster the resilience of cities worldwide through joint initiatives and knowledge sharing.
• Smart City Expo World CongressmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGPM and Smart City Expo World Congress signed a cooperation agreement to enhance urban innovation. The partnership provides a platform for GPM to engage with global urban innovators and showcase mayoral perspectives at the annual Smart City Expo events.
• Bilbao Metropoli 30majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGPM and Bilbao Metropoli 30 signed a Memorandum of Understanding to catalyze urban innovation and address pressing challenges facing cities. The partnership leverages Bilbao's experience in urban transformation and metropolitan governance.
• Nets4DemmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGPM joined Nets4Dem, a network committed to advancing, innovating, and revitalizing democracy in Europe. The 'Network of Networks' approach connects policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. GPM will collaborate on strengthening democratic practices and gaining access to cutting-edge research for urban innovation.
• France UrbainemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrance Urbaine is hosting the International U7 Mayors' Summit in Nancy, France from 2-4 June 2026 under the French G7 Presidency. As part of the U7 alliance, France Urbaine works with GPM to integrate mayoral perspectives into G7 processes.
• ANCI SiciliaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Sicilian branch of the National Association of Italian Cities (ANCI) and GPM signed a letter of intent for an Associated Partnership, including representation of Sicilian mayors in GPM activities and governance.
• Geneva Cities HubmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGPM and Geneva Cities Hub collaborated on the Mayors' Declaration for Better Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response. The partnership enables joint webinars and advocacy for mayoral perspectives in global health governance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: C40 is a mayor-led network focused on climate action in the world's largest cities. It overlaps directly with GPM's audience (large-city mayors), shares the convening-and-declaration model, and competes for mayor attention on transnational urban policy.
• United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG): UCLG is the global umbrella organization for local and regional governments and a recognized interlocutor with the UN system. It addresses the same constituency (mayors and city networks pushing for greater voice in global governance) and competes for policy attention from the same pool of municipal leaders.
• ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability: ICLEI co-hosts the Urban7 alliance with GPM and is a Core Strategic Partner. Both are international membership networks of mayors and local governments working on sustainability, urban governance, and global policy influence, making them the most direct operational peer in scale and remit.
• Metropolis - World Association of Major Metropolises: Metropolis is an international network of major metropolitan governments, working on metropolitan governance, inclusion, and sustainability. It serves a closely overlapping mayoral and city-network constituency.
• Strong Cities Network: Strong Cities Network is a Core Strategic Partner of GPM under MoU, with a 230+ city network focused on preventing hate, extremism, and polarization. It overlaps in target audience (mayors/city officials) and convening-driven programming.
• Eurocities: Eurocities is the leading network of major European cities, engaging mayors on EU policy and shared urban challenges. It addresses the same European constituency that features prominently in GPM's DeCiDE project and summit themes.
• CityNet: CityNet is a Core Strategic Partner of GPM through a signed MoU. It is an association of urban stakeholders focused on city resilience and sustainable urbanization in the Asia-Pacific region, sharing the membership-network model.
• Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy: GCoM is a major mayor-led international coalition for climate and energy action across 13,000+ cities. It overlaps in audience and convening model, and represents the most direct thematic competitor on urban climate diplomacy.
• Geneva Cities Hub: Geneva Cities Hub is a Major Strategic Partner of GPM, collaborating on the Mayors' Declaration for Better Pandemic Prevention. It promotes mayoral engagement in international affairs from Geneva, sharing GPM's diplomacy-and-declaration orientation.

Broad incumbents

• OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth: An OECD-hosted initiative convening mayors to advance inclusive growth policy. It draws from the same mayoral constituency and pursues similar declaration-style commitments, but operates within a much larger intergovernmental framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gpmayors
• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-parliament-of-mayors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Global Parliament of Mayors