Since its initial establishment in 2011, Asean Mayors Forum (AMF) has been promoting sustainable peace, forming co-operations, enhancing friendly relations, and providing a common ground for sustainable development of all ASEAN cities. This Forum has become a platform for ASEAN cities leaders and officials to promote collaboration among ASEAN Member States and has published declarations since the first AMF in 2011. In 2018, AMF received accreditation from the ASEAN Secretariat as one of the affiliated entities of ASEAN (included in ANNEX 2 of the ASEAN charter).

The AMF Secretariat is handled by the United Cities and Local Governments Asia Pacific (UCLG ASPAC), under the Southeast Asia Standing Committee. The Secretariat promotes cooperation between local governments and the broader ASEAN region through advocacy, capacity building, training, research, knowledge management, project development, and management

Given the scale and impact of the pandemic, ASEAN recognises that addressing this unprecedented crisis requires unprecedented actions within the region and outside. This is where strong coordination and cooperation among ASEAN, its stakeholders, and external partners becomes important. Highlighting the urgency of “Addressing Challenges Together” post-pandemic and realising a sustainable future, UCLG ASPAC as ASEAN Mayors Forum (AMF) Secretariat, in cooperation with the Provincial Government of East Java, is organising the ASEAN Mayors Forum (AMF) Consultation Meeting on 6th and 7th October 2022 in Surabaya, back-to-back with the Eastern Regional Organisation for Planning and Housing (Earoph) World Congress 2022. This AMF Consultation Meeting will be held prior to the AMF Summit to be organised in Cambodia as the Chairman of ASEAN 2022 in mid-November 2022.