International Municipal Forum 2026 business programme architecture published
The Roscongress Foundation has published the architecture for the business programme of an event that promises to provide Russian municipalities with an unparalleled opportunity to delve into international experience and forge new development strategies. The Forum will take place on 23–24 November 2026 at the National Centre ‘Russia’ in Moscow.
The International Municipal Forum is organized by the Roscongress Foundation, with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation. The Government of Moscow will serve as the Forum’s General Partner.
Representatives of the Russian Government, the federal and municipal authorities, and the business community, as well as investors and public and political figures, and delegations from Asia, Australia and Oceania, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North and South America, and the CIS are invited to take part in an open dialogue.
The main theme of this year’s Forum will be ‘Sustainable Urban Transformation: Responding to Global Challenges’. The business programme includes five thematic tracks, which will include discussions on designing a new urban environment that meets modern economic and cultural needs. “This is a wide range of practical issues and tasks that are relevant to municipalities: from economic and environmental development to international cooperation and the training of personnel. The Forum offers an open and constructive platform for dialogue among those who determine the future of local government. We aim to create a new, comfortable living environment that is based on advanced technologies, innovative practices, and international cooperation. The discussions will serve as the starting point for the development of a long-term strategy for modernizing the municipal government system, both in Russia and abroad,” noted Executive Secretary of the International Municipal Forum Organizing Committee and Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation Anton Kobyakov.
The central thematic track, ‘Economy and Innovation’, aims to find new points of growth for municipal budgets and the digitalization of administrative procedures. Participants will discuss mechanisms for getting citizens and businesses involved in urban modernization, as well as for attracting investments and introducing new forms of extra-budgetary financing for territories.
The ‘Sustainable Development of Municipalities’ thematic track will focus on creating safe and comfortable infrastructure, while preserving cultural and historical heritage. The key areas of this track are new regulations for private capital in the municipalities of the future, a vision for cities beyond 2030, and the modernization of social infrastructure.
The ‘International Relations’ track is given over to issues of international partnership in the context of global challenges. Topics for discussion include inter-municipal and parliamentary diplomacy, and tools for strengthening cooperation between cities. Particular attention will be paid to improving the environment and preserving natural resources in the context of rapid technological development.
The ‘Human Resources’ and ‘Youth Initiatives’ blocks will involve a discussion of effective strategies for training the next generation of specialists. Emphasis will be placed on collaboration with leading universities to create an international professional space that unites industry representatives. The key goal is to develop common international standards that take modern values and the aspirations of young people into account.
“Today, municipal teams face the task of actively engaging in the processes of structural economic transformation at the local level. This includes restarting the investment cycle, promoting projects already underway and launching new ones, and fulfilling the objectives of the Spatial Development Strategy. The new businesses, infrastructure, jobs, and changes in the quality of the urban environment that result from these decisions tend to show up in the municipalities. The International Municipal Forum will allow us to discuss these challenges with regions, businesses, and the expert community, exchange best practices, and find solutions tailored to specific territories,” Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Maxim Reshetnikov said.
The Presidential Decree ‘On the International Municipal Forum’ dated 29 December 2025 states that the event will be held on an annual basis, with the aim of strengthening business ties between representatives of regional and municipal governments and entrepreneurs from Russia and abroad.
The business programme architecture can be found on the official International Municipal Forum website at forum-municipal.com. Follow event and industry news on the official pages of the International Municipal Forum on MAX and VKontakte.
