World Mayor: Honouring outstanding mayors since 2004

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WORLD MAYOR FINALISTS 2023

The World Mayor Finalists of 2023:
Nine mayors from three continents

The nine finalists for the 2023 World Mayor Prize and Awards represent towns and cities in nine countries, on three continents. Some of the places are small, others are home to hundreds of thousands of people. While the nine finalist mayors all face and deal skilfully with issues unique to their communities, they also address opportunities and challenges common to towns and cities all over the world. At a time of major conflicts in parts of the world, the World Mayor finalists recognise the contributions cities can make towards forging friendship between people. IN GREATER DETAIL

The 2023 World Mayor Finalists
(Listed in alphabetical order of countries)
The 2023 winners will be announced in January 2024


Elke Kahr, Mayor of Graz, Austria. Quote: "The Mayor's commitment to listening to the people is commendable. Graz is fortunate to have such a dedicated and visionary leader." More	Tony Keats, Mayor of Dover, NL, Canada. Quote: "The Mayor's love for his community goes beyond his family and home. His fellow citizens are like family to him. He treats everyone as such." More	François Asensi, Mayor of Tremblay-en-France, France. Quote: "The Mayor has always shown support and solidarity towards those (countries, towns, people) in great difficulty." More

Stefan Fassbinder, Mayor of Greifswald, Germany. Quote: "The Mayor practises international cooperation and inclusive local leadership. He has made our city open and diverse." More	Francesco Iarrera, Mayor of Oliveri, Sicily, Italy. Quote: "Passion, friendship, sensitivity, inclusion, humanity, sharing, collaboration, are all qualities that describe the Mayor." More	Manuel De Araújo, Mayor of Quelimane, Mozambique. Quote: "The Mayor's tireless dedication to building a more inclusive and sustainable city is evident in every project and initiative." More

Sharon Dijksma, Mayor of Utrecht, Netherlands. Quote: "The Mayor's strategic, inclusive, and environmental views will help the city evolve further, setting an example for other cities." More	Vitaliy Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine. Quote: "The Mayor has shown courage, integrity and leadership in protecting the citizens of Kyiv from the current Russian aggression." More	Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, UK. Quote: "The Mayor truly embodies the essence of this year's theme, 'Friendship between Cities. He has established ties between cities, at home and abroad." More

WORLD MAYOR HISTORY

The World Mayor Project since 2004

The City Mayors Foundation has awarded The World Mayor Prize and Awards since 2004. Every two years, the World Mayor Project features some of the world’s most outstanding mayors, mayors who have served their fellow citizens with integrity, courage and imagination. Since 2016, the World Mayor Project has addressed some of the big issues of our time: The refugee crisis (2016); The underrepresentation of women in local government (2018); Cities during Covid (2021) and, in 2023, friendship and cooperation between cities. IN GREATER DETAIL

CODE OF ETHICS

Code of Ethics for city leaders
The City Mayors Foundation and the World Mayor Project were established in 2004 to promote, encourage and facilitate good local government. To strengthen local government further, a Code of Ethics for city leaders, who wish to perform their duties beyond all reproach, has been established. IN GREATER DETAIL

WORLD MAYOR SCULPTURE

World Mayor Prize sculpture
shows courage and conviction
City Mayors commissioned French artist Manuel Ferrari to design a sculpture that was as unique as the city of the winning mayor. City Mayors' founding fellow, Tann vom Hove, said: “We asked Manuel Ferrari to produce a design that shows what an inspirational mayor can achieve if they build on strong foundations.” The World Mayor Prize has been sculpted by Berlin-based scalptor Kaspar Swankey since 2004. IN GREATER DETAIL

The City Mayors Foundation London SW1 Email Tel: +44 20 8439 7978		ABOUT WORLD MAYOR The World Mayor Project was conceived in 2004 to raise the profile of mayors worldwide and honour those who contributed exceptionally to urban affairs. The Honours are awarded to mayors who have worked for the benefit of all citizens, irrespective of race, gender, religion, politics or legal status. The World Mayor Prize also recognises its recipients’ engangement in social affairs, the environment, cross-border cooperation and peace efforts. IN GREATER DETAIL Winners of the World Mayor Prize since 2004: Edi Rama, Tirana (2004); Dora Bakoyannis, Athens (2005); John So, Melbourne (2006); Helen Zille, Cape Town (2008); Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico City (2010); Iñaki Azkuna, Bilbao (2012); Naheed Nenshi, Calgary (2014); Bart Somers, Mechelen (2016); Valeria Mancinelli, Ancona (2018); Ahmed Aboutaleb, Rotterdam (2021); Philippe Rio, Grigny (2021). IN GREATER DETAIL