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Endorse the Toronto Declaration

Publication Date:

10/12/2025

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News

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Toronto Declaration

— 6 minutes reading time

We, mayors and other elected local leaders and representatives of local governments, gathered in Toronto, Canada, for the Strong Cities Network Sixth Global Summit, and those otherwise engaged in the vital work of supporting and empowering local leaders and governments to promote the safety and well-being of their residents: 

Recognising that hate, social polarisation and extremism are on the rise, while trust in institutions is in decline, and that these forces threaten the safety, well-being and rights of residents of our cities and towns and cohesion of our communities. 

Understanding that the safety, well-being, dignity and belonging of all residents are prerequisites for thriving cities and communities, and that exclusion, marginalisation and intolerance fuel insecurity, injustice and division. 

Reaffirming the critical role of mayors and other local leaders and local governments in building resilient and connected cities and communities, where all residents feel a sense of belonging. 

Acknowledging the pivotal – but often overlooked – role of mayors and other sub-national leaders and local governments in preventing and responding to threats to social cohesion –  including political, faith, cultural and identity-based animosities as well as gender-based, extremist, political and other violence.
 
Considering the unique opportunities that exist at the local level to foster dialogue and promote a culture of tolerance, empathy and belonging,  inequality is reduced, economic opportunities are increased and communities thrive.   

Appreciating the importance of developing a whole-of-city approach to addressing these challenges that includes an emphasis not only on collaboration among local government actors and service providers, but with national counterparts and the diversity of local organisations, services and institutions that support communities, such as libraries, schools, hospitals, housing, cultural centres, faith-based entities and post-secondary institutions.     

Understanding the increasingly important roles played by local, national and international associations and networks working to support local leaders and governments, including through peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange, the sharing of good practices and lessons learned, and amplifying the voices of local leadership to catalyse city-led action against hate.   

Reaffirming our support for the core elements of what makes a Strong City: these include   

• governance structures that are representative of a city’s entire demography;  

• a transparent local government that opposes and challenges any corruption, is accessible and responsive to residents’ priorities and needs, and includes trained local officials and institutions able to understand and respond to the various threats to social cohesion in their localities;  

• innovative, compassionate and proactive local leadership that consistently seeks to improve how the local government serves its people and demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity; 

• trust in institutions, including law enforcement;  

• a robust, independent local civil society that supports prevention efforts and holds local government and elected officials to account; and 

• a local government that effectively balances its responsibility to ensure the safety and protect the free speech, privacy and other rights of its residents. 

Recognising that economic and digital inclusion form a foundation for opportunity and cohesion in cities and communities and is a key pillar of what makes a Strong City. 

Expressing our unwavering support for youth, women, migrants and other communities that are too often targeted by hate speech, and for the local leaders who champion their rights and safety. 

Underscoring the need for stronger national-local partnerships, international cooperation and peer-to-peer exchange to equip local leaders and governments with the tools, resources and confidence needed to unleash their full potential for mitigating the impacts that cascading global, regional and national crises are increasingly having on their residents. 

We therefore declare our commitment to: 

1. Safeguard community safety and well-being by investing in locally-led prevention, protection and response policies, programmes and partnerships that address the threats to social cohesion facing our cities and communities and leverage existing local structures, resources and other assets. 
    

2. Counter online harms while safeguarding freedom of speech, including by strengthening digital literacy, promoting safe online behaviour and spaces and building partnerships with schools, libraries, civil society and local institutions to protect residents from on- and offline hate, harassment and disinformation. 
    

3. Defend democracy by protecting elected local leaders and public officials from rising levels of hate, harassment and violence targeting them, ensuring they can represent and serve their communities safely. 
    

4. Advance economic and digital inclusion as foundations for resilient, thriving cities, breaking down systemic barriers to opportunity and ensuring all residents can participate in civic and economic life. 
    

5. Safeguard human rights of all residents by upholding dignity, equity and protection for all. 
    

6. Advance gender equality and women’s local leadership by recognising and amplifying the vital role of women local leaders and officials in strengthening community resilience and countering hate, extremism and social polarisation; supporting the Strong Cities Women’s Caucus as a platform for their collective leadership; and committing to remove systemic, social and political barriers that prevent women from running for, holding and remaining in public office, including tackling gendered hate, harassment and violence. 

7. Empower youth as partners in prevention by strengthening meaningful youth–local government engagement and supporting young people, including through enhanced local government collaboration with schools, colleges and universities –  as co-designers of policies and programmes that foster cohesion and resilience  
    

8. Rebuild trust in institutions and democratic culture through transparent, accountable and participatory local governance that reflects the diversity of our residents, including our youth. 
    

9. Strengthen cooperation with higher levels of government to ensure sustainable, coordinated and inclusive responses to hate, extremism and other threats to social cohesion, and to integrate the perspectives of cities and communities into relevant national, regional and international frameworks. 

We affirm our collective responsibility to build cities and communities where civility, dignity, equality and respect form the foundation of safety, well-being and belonging; where human rights are upheld; and where all residents can thrive together. 

We commit to sharing with the Strong Cities Network on an annual basis the actions we have taken to implement this declaration. 

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