The Asia-Pacific Mayors' Forum on Environmentally Sustainable Urban Infrastructure was initiated by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, ESCAP, in partnership with Ulsan Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea, with a view to providing a meaningful platform for city mayors, top government officials and decision makers from the region to discuss key challenges, review emerging practices, share experiences and identify priority areas for making urban infrastructure more sustainable.

The first Forum was held in April 2008 and counted with the participation of 18 cities across the region.

The second Forum was held in October 2009 and was attended by 22 cities across the region, and adopted the Ulsan Declaration on Urban Green Growth.

The third Forum was held in August 2011 and was attended by approximately 50 participants, representing 20 cities from 11 countries in the region.