UN Secretary-General António Guterres (right) meets with Zohran Mamdani, Mayor of New York City at UN Headquarters in Manhattan  March 31, 2026.  (UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe)

By Gary Raynaldo      – DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

UNITED NATIONS –  NEW  YORK   –  New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres Tuesday at UN headquarters in Manhattan.  “The Secretary-General thanked the Mayor for the outstanding relationship and support received from the host city,” Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for Guterres, said in a statement. “Noting the critical role that cities play in today’s world, the Secretary-General discussed with the Mayor how to deepen the cooperation with the City of New York. The Secretary-General looks forward to continuing the dialogue between the United Nations and New York City”,  Dujarric added.

It was Mamdani’s first meeting with the UN chief since becoming mayor of NY City.  Dujarric said discussions will continue between the UN and the City “on how we can best work together to advance a number of issues”. He noted that the  Secretary-General “has always been very clear about the role that cities play in advancing the issues that we care about, whether it’s inequality, whether it’s housing, whether it’s climate change.” Guterres gifted the mayor with a “big version” of The Charter of the United Nations book, Dujarric said.

After the meeting, Mamdani made a statement on social media platform X saying: “NYC has always been a home to the world, shaped by the dreams and struggles of people from every corner of the globe. Our relationship with the United Nations is part of that story, and it’s one we must continue to deepen. Together, we can build a more just future for people around the world.”  Mamdani is the city’s first Muslim , first South Asian, and youngest  mayor ever elected in more than a century.