The Secretary-General today met Ms. Manuela Carmena, the Mayor of the City of Madrid, Spain.

The Secretary-General welcomed the Mayor’s offer to establish a United Nations House to host the organization’s entities in Spain.

They discussed the importance of sustainable cities and the Secretary-General encouraged the Mayor to join the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance at the Climate Change Conference in Paris in December 2015. They also discussed the newly adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and need to translate the goals into effective national and local policies.

The Secretary-General and the Mayor underscored the need to address the migrant and refugee crisis, and he commended the Mayor’s recent initiative that encourages the residents of Madrid help refugees in need.

The Secretary-General also expressed appreciation for Spain’s support for the commemorative events marking the 70th anniversary of the United Nations.