Celebrating Dr. Yousef Al Shawarbeh’s Contributions to the Mayors Migration Council Leadership Board

As Dr. Yousef Al Shawarbeh concludes his tenure as the longest serving Mayor of the Greater Amman Municipality, Jordan, we reflect on his achievements in global city leadership and his contributions to the MMC.

Dr. Yousef Al Shawarbeh co-founded the Mayors Migration Council (MMC) in 2018, alongside a coalition of mayors from all over the world, to give cities a seat at the table in global policymaking and to mobilize resources supporting refugees, migrants, and the communities that welcome them.

During his time as Mayor, Dr. Yousef Al Shawarbeh was a vocal advocate for the role municipal governments play in managing international refugee crises and responding to climate-driven displacement.

Highlights of Dr. Al Shawarbeh’s leadership:

• Endorsed the Marrakech Mayors Declaration, pledging to advance the principles and objectives of the Global Compact for Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees, engage in international diplomacy, and take concrete action within his city to improve the lives of migrants and refugees.
• Co-launched the Global Mayors Solidarity Campaign on Inclusive COVID-19 Response, which called for non-discriminatory access to health services and economic relief, as well as investment in city-led, inclusive pandemic solutions. The campaign helped secure the UN Secretary-General’s recommendation to invest in cities and the creation of the MMC’s Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees (GCF), which has mobilized over $35 million to support 44 city-led projects.
• Secured funding through MMC’s GCF, the flagship mechanism for channeling technical and financial support directly to cities. With GCF funding, Amman established the city’s first Children’s Climate Academy in the Al-Hussein refugee camp to teach Amman’s youngest generation about environmental stewardship. The academy and park provide a safe and welcoming space for refugee and Jordanian children to play, interact, and learn.  Amman is now doubling the GCF’s original investment with its own revenues, ensuring the academy’s long-term continuity and institutionalization. 

• Joined the C40-MMC Global Mayors Task Force on Climate and Migration, advocating at COP and other multilateral forums for greater recognition of the urban dimension of climate mobility and for equipping cities with the policy, financing, and tools needed to anticipate and respond to displacement. Through the Task Force, Amman has helped make the case for inclusive urban planning that recognizes people arriving in cities as part of the city’s future social and economic fabric. This work is increasingly important for Amman: the C40-MMC Future Urban Landscapes Report projects that the city could receive an estimated 554,000 climate migrants by 2050, underscoring the need to plan today for inclusive services, infrastructure, economic opportunity, and climate resilience.
• Represented cities at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum, which brought together national governments, refugee leaders, and the private sector. Shawarbeh and other mayors highlighted progress in implementing the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and announced new local commitments—including expanded humanitarian aid and reception support, employment for refugees, and more inclusive climate action in refugee-hosting communities.
• Joined the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments in 2023 as one of 20 global leaders providing direct input to the UN’s 2024 Summit of the Future. Dr. Al Shawarbeh brought firsthand insights into managing rapid urban growth and refugee integration, and urged the UN to direct funding to cities facing rising displacement and to support urban migrants and refugees around the world.
  
  

Tributes from Mayors Migration Council and the Fellow Leadership Board Mayors

“Dear Mayor Al-Shawarbeh, thank you, and congratulations, for the dedication, commitment and innovation you have demonstrated as Mayor of Amman. I am honoured to have shared a small part of your journey through the co-founding of the Mayor’s Migration Council and our joint service on the Board. As you move into the next chapter of your journey, I wish you all the very best and look forward to remaining in touch.” – Yvonne Aki-Saywerr, Mayor of Freetown

“Since its very foundation, fellow Mayor Al Shawarbeh of Amman, you have been a pivotal force in the making and strengthening of the Mayors Migration Council. On many occasions you have been a key voice in reporting opportunities, hopes and challenges of human mobility in cities in the Global South. By sharing the stories of migrants and refugees arriving and living in Amman, you have put faces and real-life colours to many policy reflections and mayoral conversations, including on the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees. We are all grateful for your shared leadership and commitment.” – Giuseppe Sala, Mayor of Milan

“Mayor Al Shawarbeh has championed the Mayors Migration Council since day one. As one of our founding mayors, he has carried Amman’s voice to the global stage, and he has turned commitments under the Global Compact for Migration into real support for refugee children and the communities that welcome them.” – Vittoria Zansuo, MMC Executive Director