OECD Champion Mayors Initiative: A new Chair and a fresh impetus for inclusive growth in cities

9 September 2022

Dagur Eggertsson, Mayor of Reykjavik (Iceland) launched his Chairmanship of the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth Initiative with a visit to Paris on 8- 9 September. He used the visit as an opportunity to present his vision and priorities for the future of the Initiative.

OECD Secretary-General Matthias Cormann, Chair of the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth and Mayor of Reykjavik Dagur Eggertsson, and Iceland’s Ambassador to OECD, Unnur Orradottir-Ramette.

Ahead of the visit, Mayor Eggertsson said that Mayors can and must lead the way in developing more inclusive models of growth.

“Cities are engines of growth but also suffer from extreme inequalities. The challenges of rising costs of living, climate change and digitalisation threaten to widen those inequalities. Cities have found themselves on the front line in responding to global shocks. Even as we work for an inclusive recovery from the pandemic, we are facing new challenges – from the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to extreme weather events – that threaten inclusive growth. This coalition of Champion Mayors has the powers – and the ambition – to change course, and put in place policies that will protect the vulnerable and create new opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship for all. As Chair, I look forward to working with Mayors and Ministers across the world, and the OECD Secretariat, to develop and share new solutions to make that a reality.” Read the media release.

Director of the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Chair of the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth and Mayor of Reykjavik Dagur Eggertsson, and Iceland’s Ambassador to OECD, Unnur Orradottir-Ramette.

Mayor Eggertsson also thanked the outgoing Chair, Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris (France), saying, “I look forward to building on the work of my colleague the Mayor of Paris who has steered the Champion Mayors during the recent challenging years for cities.”

Chair of the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth and Mayor of Reykjavik Dagur Eggertsson and Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo.

During the visit, Mayor Eggertsson met with outgoing Chair Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, Mathias Cormann, Secretary General of the OECD, Unnur Orradottir-Ramette, Iceland’s Ambassador to OECD and the OECD Secretariat.

Chair of the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth and Mayor of Reykjavik Dagur Eggertsson meets with the OECD Secretariat.

Visit Dagur Eggertsson’s Champion Mayors Profile.

Read Dagur Eggertsson’s Mayor of the Moment interview.