Summary
On Wednesday, 27 April, the Habitat III Open-Ended Informal Consultative Meeting continued at UN Headquarters in New York. The day was organized around “Transformative Commitments for a Sustainable Urban Development” on the two themes “sustainable and inclusive urban growth, prosperity and opportunities for all” and “ecological and resilient cities and human settlements.”
Under the theme of sustainable and inclusive urban growth, prosperity and opportunities for all, two panels on urban economic development strategies, and urban services and technology took place in the morning. On urban economic development strategies, the panel addressed policy options and recommendations emerging from the work of Policy Unit 7, in particular: structures to support economic development; impacts on equality and poverty; the role of industry; and livelihood generation. On urban services and technology, discussions touched on the outcomes of the work of Policy Unit 9, and addressed: sustainable consumption and production; decriminalization of the informal sector; local government capacity; and accessibility of information and services.
Under the theme of ecological and resilient cities and human settlements, panels on urban ecology and resilience, and sustainable energy took place in the afternoon. On urban ecology and resilience, panelists highlighted the importance of institutional frameworks, finance and data. Discussions addressed, inter alia, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), human-centered approaches, and the role of the New Urban Agenda in driving the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On sustainable energy, the panel addressed the economic case for renewable energy as a driving force in generating social change, renewables as part of the sustainability agenda, and the critical role of sustainable energy in cities.
The day closed with a wrap-up session, which concluded the two-day focus on “Transformative Commitments for a Sustainable Urban Development.”
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, is providing web coverage from the Habitat III Open-Ended Informal Consultative Meetings. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has published a summary report from the meetings, which is availabe in HTML and PDF format.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon
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