Celebrating Eric Garcetti’s Legacy at the Mayors Migration Council
As Eric Garcetti concluded his second and final term as Mayor of Los Angeles, we reflect on his important contributions and achievements as a founding member of the Mayors Migration Council’s Leadership Board from 2018-2022.
Eric Garcetti founded the Mayors Migration Council at the Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Migration in 2018, when he launched the Marrakech Mayors Declaration, “Cities Working Together for Migrants and Refugees,” alongside a coalition of mayors from all over the world pledging to advance the principles and objectives of the Global Compact, to continue to engage in international diplomacy, and to take direct action to improve the lives of migrant and displaced communities in cities.
As an MMC Leadership Board Member, Mayor Garcetti played an instrumental role in helping mayors get a seat at the global policy table and unlock financial resources to accelerate local solutions in the face of pressing challenges — from pandemics to the climate crisis.
Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los AngelesBuilding more equitable and inclusive cities will create a fairer, more just world, and the MMC is a critical partner in our work to ensure cities are places where everybody belongs
During his tenure, Eric Garcetti:
- Launched a Global Mayors Solidarity Campaign on Inclusive Covid-19 Response – calling for non discriminatory access to health services and economic relief and investment in city-led solutions for an inclusive pandemic response, which resulted in the UN Secretary-General’s recommendation to invest in cities and in the creation of the MMC’s Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees.
- Raised more than US$36 million from the private sector, philanthropies, and individuals for a new, innovative direct cash assistance program — the Angeleno Card — to serve residents who fall below the poverty line and do not qualify for federal aid that excludes undocumented immigrants and informal sector workers.
Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los AngelesMigrants and refugees around the world have been on the frontline of the global health crisis — risking their lives to care for patients, deliver food, and do the essential jobs needed to save lives.
- Established the C40-MMC Global Mayors Task Force on Climate and Migration to address the impact of the climate crisis on migration in cities, which released a mayor-led Action Agenda at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and unlocked new investments in the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees to address climate migration in African cities.
- Mobilized a coalition of 15 US mayors and city networks to draft an Open Letter to the US President, resulting in the acknowledgement of the urban dimension of climate migration in the White House Report on Climate and Migration and a US$5 million investment to support climate-affected migrants.
- Organized an emergency advocacy campaign to Welcome Afghan Refugees — calling on national governments and the international community to expand protection, resettlement, and aid for the people of Afghanistan — which secured the endorsement of more than 70 mayors around the world and 8 organizational partners representing more than 240,000 local governments.
Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los AngelesThe fight against climate change has no national borders, so we have to work together to lift up those who have been displaced by this crisis.
Mayor Garcetti on Inclusive Pandemic Response
Mayor Garcetti called on national and international decision-makers to include migrant families in Covid-19 relief plans in this op-ed from 2020.
More About Eric Garcetti
The son of public servants and the grandson and great-grandson of immigrants from Mexico and Eastern Europe, Eric Garcetti’s life has been shaped by a deep commitment to the core values of justice, dignity, and equality for all people. Having served as the 42nd Mayor of Los Angeles between 2013 and 2022, Eric Garcetti’s government service began on the L.A. City Council, where he spent four terms as Council President before being elected Mayor in 2013 and winning re-election in 2017 by the widest margin in the history of Los Angeles. Beyond his time at City Hall, Mayor Garcetti has served his country as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve, and taught at the University of Southern California and Occidental College. He received his B.A. and M.A. from Columbia University, and studied as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and later at the London School of Economics. He is also a jazz pianist and photographer. He and his wife, First Lady Amy Elaine Wakeland, are the proud parents of a daughter, Maya, and have been foster parents for more than a decade.
