Mayor Aki-Sawyerr on High-level Engagements in New York

New York, 23 September 2024

As part of her engagements at the UNGA Summit of the Future in New York, Mayor of Freetown & C40 Cities Co-Chair, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr this morning participated in a high-level panel meeting with the Africa- Europe Women’s Leaders Network on the importance of multilateral action and financing in achieving global goals. Also attending the meeting were the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and former president of Liberia, Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and other global leaders.

Mayor Aki-Sawyerr also took part in the inaugural panel of the Hub Live series- Driving Ambition and Democratizing Climate Action, where she discussed at the leadership and actions necessary to keep the 1.5°C climate target within reach. She also highlighted Freetown’s efforts to tackle climate challenges through its #FreetownTheTreeTown initiative and innovative approaches to turning liquid waste into energy.

In another engagement, she joined a panel on empowering people living in informal settlements, where she shared how Freetown City Council is working with communities like Kroo Bay, Susan’s Bay and Moyiba on informal settlement upgrades.

She then participated in the Mayors Migration Council Leadership Board’s annual meeting, which reviewed the achievements, challenges, and lessons from MMC’s 2020-2024 startup phase and approved the vision and strategic priorities for 2025-2030.