Joining New York, Los Angeles, Paris Mayors

London Mayor Refuses to Take Part in Saudi Summit

Date: 30 September 2020 - 21:36

News ID: ۸۳۳۸۳

LONDON (Middle East Eye) – London mayor Sadiq Khan has reversed his decision to participate in a Saudi hosted summit this week, to avoid the implication that it means support for the Saudi regime, Middle East Eye has reported.
MEE revealed that Khan could not participate in the event due to an "existing diary commitment”.
The Urban 20 (U20) mayor’s virtual summit is being hosted between 30 September and 2 October by Saudi Arabia as part of its chairmanship of this year’s G20, and will discuss the challenges faced by major global cities.
The mayors of New York, Los Angeles and Paris had already withdrawn from the event, citing concerns about Riyadh’s human rights record.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the London mayor told MEE: "It has never been the mayor’s intention to attend this U20 summit and his invite has previously been formally declined. No one is representing him at the summit or speaking on behalf of London.
The decision to withdraw the official comes after a coalition of human rights groups wrote to Khan, among other mayors, to boycott U20 over concerns about Saudi Arabia’s record on human rights, foreign policy and climate change.
"Saudi Arabia’s government is an unfit and inappropriate host for the 2020 G20 summit and Urban 20 convening,” the groups said in a joint statement.
"As an absolute monarchy without any form of meaningful democratic representation, the Saudi government has a long record of silencing the very voices that are necessary for a meaningful global conversation regarding the massive challenges we collectively face.”
A petition set up by Freedom Forward, one of the co-signatories, urging Khan to boycott the event has received over 7,000 signatures.
New York mayor Bill de Blasio withdrew from the U20 meeting last Thursday, citing ethical concerns about the host country.
"The global Covid-19 pandemic has shown just how crucial it is for cities across the world to work together while standing up for what’s right. We cannot lead the world without speaking out against injustices,” he said.
"We must stand united for combating climate change, advancing peace and protecting human rights. I urge my colleagues in other global cities to join me in withdrawing from this year’s [Urban 20] summit and demanding progress.”