Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, joins Mayors Migration Council Leadership Board
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — On World Migrants Day, the Mayors Migration Council (MMC) announced the appointment of Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur to its Leadership Board as its newest member. This esteemed board provides strategic direction to the MMC, a mayor-led coalition that accelerates ambitious global action on migration and displacement to create a world where urban migrants, displaced people, and receiving communities can thrive.
Appointed as Mayor of Kuala Lumpur in August 2024 after two terms as Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Mayor Maimunah leads one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing urban hubs in population and economic development. Kuala Lumpur and adjoining Selangor state host a significant proportion of Malaysia’s migrants and refugees. Today, foreign residents make up approximately 9 percent of the city’s total population of nearly two million people, and 20 percent of the nation’s nearly 200,000 refugees and asylum-seekers—many fleeing regional conflict— call Kuala Lumpur home.
Within her First 100 Days in office, Mayor Maimunah prioritized ambitious plans to address housing and homelessness, emphasizing the need for affordable and safe housing for all residents. As Executive Director of UN-Habitat, she was pivotal in shaping the New Urban Agenda, championing human rights and non-discrimination for migrants and refugees, and ensuring their inclusion in city planning. During her tenure, she also partnered with the MMC to launch the inaugural Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees. To date, 90 percent of cities that benefited from the fund have used this seed funding as a proof of concept to sustain and expand their initiatives. Notably, UN-Habitat directly supported Beirut’s first municipal mobile health clinic, which has since become a permanent fixture in the city’s healthcare system, continuing to serve migrants and refugees in need today.
“Kuala Lumpur is a vibrant, diverse city where people from all around the world come to build their lives and seize opportunities,” said Mayor Maimunah. “Cities thrive because of their people, not just their infrastructure, and I am proud of Kuala Lumpur’s role as an inclusive city for all. As a member of the Mayors Migration Council’s Leadership Board, I am honoured to bring my experience in international diplomacy and inclusive urban development to amplify the voices of Asian mayors in global discussions, and drive pragmatic, impactful solutions on the ground.”
International Gender Champion since 2015, Mayor Maimunah is also actively serving in leadership positions of several city alliances, including United Cities & Local Governments (UCLG), the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Resilient Cities Network, and Metropolis.
In her new leadership role, Mayor Maimunah will ensure that the MMC’s mission and mandate are driven by and responsive to the needs of cities across the globe. She joins an esteemed group of visionary mayors on the MMC’s Leadership Board:
- Yousef Al Shawarbeh, Mayor of Amman, Jordan
- Carlos Galán, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
- Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Erias Lukwago, Mayor of Kampala, Uganda
- Giuseppe Sala, Mayor of Milan, Italy
- Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montréal, Canada
- Ron Nirenberg, Mayor of San Antonio, United States
- Corine Mauch, Mayor of Zürich, Switzerland
“We’re thrilled to welcome Mayor Maimunah to our Leadership Board,” said Vittoria Zanuso, Executive Director of the MMC. “Her international leadership in amplifying city voices within multilateral forums has positively impacted both city and national governments worldwide. At the same time, her unwavering commitment to socio-economic inclusion and housing in her city serves as a powerful local example that can inspire mayors globally. Her expertise will be invaluable as we continue to demonstrate how local action drives global impact.”
For more information about the Mayors Migration Council, visit www.mayorsmigrationcouncil.org. For press inquiries, including to connect with Mayor Sharif about her appointment, contact Cynthia Nahhas, Communications Associate, at the Mayors Migration Council, at cnahhas@mayorsmigrationcouncil.org or at +1 (917) 246-2586.
About Maimunah Mohd Sharif
Maimunah Mohd Sharif was appointed mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August 2024 for a two year term. In her First 100 Days in office, Mayor Maimunah has prioritized a focus on housing and homelessness, incorporating inclusivity, climate resilience and affordability into her plans. Before becoming mayor, Maimunah served two terms as Executive Director of UN-Habitat, the UN’s agency for human settlements and sustainable urban development, and prior to that was Mayor of Penang Island in Malaysia. Mayor Maimunah holds a degree in town planning studies from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology, and a Masters of Science in Planning Studies from the University of Science Malaysia.
About the Mayors Migration Council
The Mayors Migration Council (MMC) is a mayor-led coalition that accelerates ambitious global action on migration and displacement to create a world where urban migrants, displaced people, and receiving communities can thrive. To achieve our mission, we provide mayors with advocacy, coordination, and communications support to influence policy decisions at the national and international level, and connect city governments to the knowledge, technical, and financial resources they need to accelerate and scale local solutions.
Created by mayors for mayors, the MMC is guided by a Leadership Board of global city leaders and operates with the institutional support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the IKEA Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and the Robert Bosch Stiftung, in addition to other donors.
The MMC is managed under the oversight of the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), a 501(c)(3) public charity in the United States.
Read the MMC’s Impact Report for more background.
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