From August 1st, Ricardo Rio, mayor of Braga, Portugal, will be the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Global Parliament of Mayors (GPM). Mayor Rio is taking over this position from Mayor Peter Kurz whose term as mayor of Mannheim (Germany) will end. Mayor Rio has joined the GPM in 2018 and is a member of the Daily Board since 2019.
Mayor Rio: “It is with great pride that I take over the Chair of the GPM from Mayor Kurz. Since the start in 2016, the GPM has developed a history of uniting mayors to address global issues of the 21st century delivering impact at the global and local level, including advancing the role of cities in relation to the UN and the G7, and urban democracy and local self-governance through the Global Declaration of Mayors for Democracy. This declaration has been signed by over 250 mayors worldwide. The GPM will continue to serve as a critical forum to facilitate the collaboration between mayors and their cities, and to advance the interests of cities at the global stage”.
"I am in particular delighted with the work of cities in localising the Sustainable Development Goals and their work on the social economy, where I have been Rapporteur in the European Committee of the Regions, for example. I am keen to continue working with all partners and organisations for the betterment of self-governance at a time of increasing shifts of responsibilities to the sub-national level." added the Mayor of Braga, Ricardo Rio.
As Mayor Kurz’s term as mayor of Mannheim will end in August, he will also step down as GPM Chair. Mayor Kurz is one of the founding mayors of the GPM and a member of the Executive Committee since the start in 2016. He has served as Co-Chair of the Executive Committee from 2018-2019, and held the position of Chair since 2019.
“Ricardo Rio has proven himself to be a powerful champion for mayors throughout his tenure on the GPM Executive Committee. I am delighted that he will take over the position of Chair of the Executive Committee when my term as Mayor of Mannheim ends in August. I am confident that Ricardo will continue to expand the organization and its global impact in his new role,” said Mayor Kurz.
Ricardo Rio is the mayor of Braga since 2013. Throughout his years as mayor of Braga, he has taken the lead on the global stage, is member of Executive Committee of Eurocities, and a Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth of OECD. He was one of the Portuguese representatives at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and now a member of the Portuguese delegation of the Committee of the Regions. In 2021, he won the tile World Mayor for Sustainability, awarded by the City Mayors Foundation.
The Executive Committee is the governing board of the GPM and includes the mayors of Mannheim (Germany), Braga (Portugal), Banjul (the Gambia), Ghent (Belgium), Monrovia (Liberia), Katowice (Poland), Quelimane (Mozambique), and Rochester Hills (USA).