Message from the Chair of
the Hosting Support
Executive Committee

It is a great honor for us, Toyota City, to co-organize the 2025 International Mayors Forum (IMF), an international conference on the SDGs, with the United Nations.

For our positive contribution to the SDGs, Toyota City was selected as one of the SDGs Future Cities by the Cabinet Office in 2018 and has since been leading Japan’s initiatives towards achieving the SDGs. We also began working with the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) located in Nagoya City when we accepted international trainees under the UNCRD’s training program. We have since strengthened the cooperative ties with UNCRD through various opportunities, including co-organizing international events and sending staff.

Ten years have passed since the SDGs were adopted unanimously at the United Nations General Assembly, leaving just five more years to the target year. At the current pace, it seems difficult to achieve the SDGs by 2030. As 65% of the SDG targets are associated with the roles and responsibilities of municipalities, municipal-level efforts are pivotal for making progress towards the SDGs. In this light, I believe discussions at the forthcoming IMF will make a significant contribution to achieving the SDGs.

We are now making preparations for the 2025 IMF to ensure that meaningful discussions will take place and also to offer opportunities for participants from various parts of the world to discover our world-class monozukuri (manufacturing) technologies and spirit, and to feel the rich and beautiful nature that supports our sustainable living and the warm hospitality of the citizens during their stay in Toyota City.

I am looking forward to meeting leaders from around the world and engaging in fruitful discussions on the SDGs this autumn.