Mayor Galán Joins Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit 2025 in Paris

Traslated by Andrés Martínez Forero

Bogotá is reaffirming its commitment to urban health and international investment. From March 20 to 21, 2025, Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán is representing the Colombian capital at the Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit in Paris, France. The event is organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the World Health Organization (WHO), Vital Strategies, and the City of Paris, and brings together global leaders to exchange strategies for preventing noncommunicable diseases and strengthening health in urban environments.

We invite you to consult: Bogotá and the University of Texas Promote Socially-Driven Urbanism

The initiative brings together more than 70 cities, collectively impacting over 320 million people. Its mission is to reduce the prevalence of diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and cancer, while also preventing injuries in urban settings. With financial and technical support, the Alliance helps cities develop evidence-based public policies to improve population health.

Within this framework, Mayor Galán is exchanging insights with other city leaders and public health officials, reinforcing Bogotá’s leadership in preventive health strategies and urban well-being.

Read more on Bogotá’s official post on X:

Hoy, 20 de marzo, el alcalde @CarlosFGalan arrancó su agenda en París junto a los demás alcaldes del mundo presentes en el Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit, organizado por @BloombergDotOrg@VitalStrat y la @WHOpic.twitter.com/DV7UYNsaF3

— Alcaldía de Bogotá (@Bogota) March 20, 2025

In addition to the summit, Mayor Galán is leading a high-level business roundtable with French entrepreneurs, showcasing Bogotá as a strategic destination for investment. The agenda includes opportunities in transportation infrastructure, sustainability, healthcare, science, technology, and innovation.

The Bogotá delegation includes Adriana Soto, Secretary of Environment; María del Pilar López, Secretary of Economic Development; and Gerson Orlando Bermont, Secretary of Health. Their goal is to strengthen international cooperation and knowledge exchange with global cities and multilateral organizations.

Key Bilateral Meetings and Strategic Partnerships

During the summit, Mayor Galán is also holding strategic bilateral meetings to advance international cooperation in health and public safety. He met with Claudio Orrego, Governor of the Santiago Metropolitan Region (Chile), to learn about Chile’s experience in metropolitan governance and explore its relevance for Bogotá.

On the environmental front, the mayor is exploring funding and technical assistance opportunities with Stéphanie Bouzigues-Eschmann, Secretary General of the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM), in support of Bogotá’s Urban Renaturalization Plan.

Mayor Galán also met with Patti Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies, to discuss potential collaboration on key projects in sustainable mobility, environmental restoration, and water resilience.

In the area of food security, he met with Dr. Corinna Hawkes, Director of the FAO’s Division of Food Systems and Food Safety, to explore technical assistance for Bogotá’s “Bogotá Without Hunger” program, the Guaranteed Minimum Income Strategy, and the city’s Food and Nutrition Plan.

To strengthen public safety, the mayor also held a meeting with Laurent Núñez, Paris’ Prefect of Police, to learn about strategies the French capital is using to combat organized crime.

See the full meeting with Laurent Núñez here:

La seguridad también estuvo en la agenda del alcalde en París.

El Prefecto de Policía de París, Laurent Núñez, compartió con el alcalde las experiencias de la capital francesa en materia de seguridad. La Prefectura de Policía de París tiene hoy cerca de 30 mil policías en las… pic.twitter.com/f574dt6eQF

— Alcaldía de Bogotá (@Bogota) March 20, 2025

Boosting Investment and Economic Growth

One of the main goals of the Paris visit is to attract foreign investment and deepen trade relations with France. Mayor Carlos F. Galán and Secretary of Economic Development María del Pilar López are leading a business matchmaking event organized in partnership with the Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá (CCB), Invest in Bogotá, and supported by ProColombia.

The roundtable will bring together representatives from more than 35 French companies interested in learning about investment opportunities in Bogotá. The initiative aims to encourage new ventures in the city and support the expansion of companies already operating in the Colombian capital.

Audiovisual Sector Mission to France

As part of this official visit, the District Secretariat for Economic Development (SDDE) and the Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá (CCB) are leading an exploratory mission focused on the audiovisual sector. The mission aims to strengthen ties with the French audiovisual market, valued at approximately €15 billion and supported by a robust co-production framework.

Don't leave without knowing: Bogotá and Sweden signed an agreement to advance the biogas pilot plant

The agenda includes business meetings, visits to French companies, and promotion of the "Gente Convergente" program, which positions Bogotá as a digital creativity hub in Latin America.

More on this strategic mission can be found in the following post on the Bogotá International Relations Office's social network X:

Junto al presidente de la Cámara de Comercio Internacional, Phillipe Varin, productores y representantes bogotanos del sector audiovisual, y la Secretaria de Desarrollo Económico, @marialopezuribe, el alcalde @CarlosFGalan exploró posibles estrategias para apoyar al sector… pic.twitter.com/Y6ca23br8x

— Alcaldía de Bogotá (@Bogota) March 20, 2025

Through this comprehensive agenda in Paris, Bogotá is positioning itself as a key player on the global stage—offering the best of the city to the world, while embracing international collaboration to improve quality of life for its residents through strategic partnerships and global cooperation.