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The Mayors Migration Council at the 2023 Cities Summit of the Americas
Event Overview
DENVER (April 18, 2023)—Mayors and leaders from across the western hemisphere will convene in Denver, Colorado April 26th to 28th for the first-ever Cities Summit of the Americas to discuss city-led solutions to migrant and refugee inclusion, and what national governments and multilateral financial institutions can do to support these efforts.
A growing movement of mayors and city leaders, led by the Mayors Migration Council, is calling on governments, philanthropists, and international donors to fund cities directly as they lead the way in driving innovative approaches to make cities more welcoming to migrants. These efforts have already unlocked millions of dollars to directly fund city-led efforts.
At the Summit, the Mayors Migration Council will co-host two key sessions: a private roundtable on climate migration, and the closing plenary session, which will focus on migration and displacement.
The roundtable, “Cities at the Nexus of Climate Change, Migration, and Displacement,” is hosted by the U.S. State Department in partnership with USAID, the Mayors Migration Council, C40 Cities, and the Climate Migration Council, and will include mayors from across the region, including: Mayor Jaime Pumarejo from Barranquilla, Colombia; Mayor Joel Martínez from Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tabago; Mayor Maribel Escobar from La Palma, El Salvador; Mayor Jim Strickland, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.; and Commissioner Brigid Shea, Travis County, Texas, U.S.. In addition, U.S. State Department Under Secretary of Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Uzra Zeya and USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean Mileydi Guilarte will participate in the discussion.
The Summit’s closing plenary session, which will focus on migration and displacement, will feature a keynote address by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and remarks by Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper, followed by a panel discussion with city leaders and donors on “City-led Solutions: Human Mobility in the Americas.” The plenary is co-hosted by the Mayors Migration Council, Emerson Collective, CAF-Development Bank of Latin America, and the InterAmerican Dialogue.
WHAT: Roundtable: “Cities at the Nexus of Climate Change, Migration, and Displacement”
WHEN: Friday, April 28, at 9:00-10:30 am MDT
WHERE: Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado, Mile High Ballroom 4E
WHO:
Under Secretary Uzra Zeya, Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, U.S. State Department
Deputy Assistant Administrator Mileydi Guilarte, Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, USAID
Mayor Jaime Pumarejo, Barranquilla, Colombia
Mayor Joel Martínez, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tabago
Mayor Maribel Escobar, La Palma, El Salvador
Mayor Jim Strickland, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Commissioner Brigid Shea, Travis County, Texas, U.S.
Vittoria Zanuso, Executive Director, Mayors Migration Council
Laura Jay, Regional Director, North America, C40 Cities
Shana Tabak, Director, Immigration Strategy, Emerson Collective on behalf of the Climate Migration Council
Sunil Varghese, Policy Director, International Refugee Assistance Project
Ileana Cruz-Marden, Deputy Director for the Americas, Tent Partnership for Refugees
José Samaniego, Director, Regional Bureau for the Americas, UNHCR
Michele Klein Solomon, Regional Director for Central and North America and the Caribbean, IOM
Moderated by: Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Marta Youth, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
The roundtable is closed to press and will not be live-streamed.
Remarks from some of the speakers will be made public following the event.
WHAT: Closing Plenary Session of the Cities Summit of the Americas
WHEN: Friday, April 28, 3:45 pm-5:15 pm MDT
WHERE: Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO, Mile High Ballroom Main Stage
WHO:
Introduction:
Mike Fries, Chair of the Biennial of the Americas and CEO of Liberty Global
Keynote:
Antony J. Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State
Remarks:
Senator John Hickenlooper, Colorado
Panelists:
Mayor Jaime Pumarejo, Barranquilla, Colombia
Mayor Claudia López, Bogotá, Colombia
Mayor Bruce Harrell, Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Mayor Yamileth López Obregón, Upala, Costa Rica
Commissioner Brigid Shea, Travis County, Texas, U.S.
Christian Asinelli, Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming, CAF-Development Bank of Latin America
Moderator: Lilia Luciano, CBS News
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
The closing plenary will be open to press with simultaneous interpretation in English, Spanish, and Portuguese provided. It will also be live streamed on the CSOA website: www.citiessummitoftheamericas.org
Press can register to cover the plenary and other Summit events here.
