The G20 Global Alliance for Smart City Technology was kicked off by 15 global leading city networks and technology governance organisations to promote a responsible and ethical use of smart city technologies on the global level. The Alliance is mandated to set global norms and policy standards to help accelerate best practices, mitigate potential risks, and foster greater openness and public trust. Smart city technologies can help decrease traffic congestion, combat crime, improve resilience during natural disasters, and reduce greenhouse emissions. 'Our cities stand at a crossroads. Rapid urbanization -if not effectively managed -threatens to paralyse local economies and undermine recent advances in the quality of life. Smart city technologies offer huge promise, but they can be a Pandora's box. Today's announcement is a critical first step to accelerate global best practices, mitigate risks, and foster greater openness and public trust regarding the collection of data in public spaces,' noted World Economic Forum Head of IoT, Robotics and Smart Cities Jeff Merritt.