The Mayoral Forum on Mobility, Migration and Development, a United Nations-supported platform, aims to advance precisely this kind of dialogue and cooperation among the world's mayors, municipal leaders and regional authorities. Launched in 2014 in Barcelona, the forum, which meets annually, operates on the principle that healthy and sustainable urban centres -- a key component of any country's dynamism and success -- depend on the equal rights, duties and opportunities of its residents.
The forum also encourages the international community to engage with cities as "key actors in discussions and decision-making processes on the design of migration policies". After all, cities -- which already house more than half of the world's population, a share that will rise to 66% by 2050 -- have plenty of experience integrating new residents, both from abroad and from rural areas.