Highlights for Wednesday, 29 May 2019
(L-R): Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, Yemen; President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya; Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, Fiji; UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif; President Salva Kiir, South Sudan; and Monica Juma, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kenya
On Wednesday, the first UN-Habitat Assembly (UNHA 1) hosted its High-Level Segment. The opening session featured statements from: Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya; Salva Kiir, President of South Sudan; Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji; and Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, Prime Minister of Yemen. UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif and UNHA 1 President Martha Delgado Peralta also made opening remarks.Three high-level interactive thematic dialogues took place during the day, focusing on:
innovation for better quality of life in cities and communities;
implementation, partnerships and good practices for cities and communities; and
investing in urban innovation for business.
The drafting committee continued its work, addressing draft resolutions on: gender equality to support inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities; UN system-wide guidelines on safer cities; and enhancing urban-rural linkages for sustainable urbanization and human settlements. A draft resolution on access to, and the interrelationship between, urban social infrastructure was briefly discussed. A number of events took place throughout the day. The Partnerships and Pledging Conference aimed at attracting additional funds for the implementation of UN-Habitat’s work programme, raised over USD 150 million. The Local and Regional Governments Forum discussed the role of local authorities in implementing the New Urban Agenda (NUA) and the 2030 Agenda.Three youth events shared innovative ideas and projects; discussed the participation of young people in peace processes, dispute resolution, and conflict prevention; and highlighted successes of youth-led development in Latin America. Four events were held on the City Stage on: public participation in urban and public space design; uptake of water and sanitation innovations; art as a solution; and housing innovation of inclusive cities. A Women’s event provided a platform for sharing new approaches, key events, and engagement opportunities for grassroots women, women leaders, and organizations.Two press conferences focused on the Partnerships and Pledging Conference, and the 10th World Urban Forum (WUF 10) as well as the case of illegal waste in Ngong Town, Kajiado County, Kenya. Ten side events were held at lunchtime, focusing on, inter alia:
science, technology, innovation, and human behavior;
localizing the NUA and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
building climate resilience for the urban poor;
strengthening urban finance for sustainable development;
human rights-based approaches to meet the SDGs and NUA targets for women, youth, and children; and
the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and resilience in Arab cities.
In the evening, a reception was organized by the United Arab Emirates as host country of WUF 10.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and also produced a summary report from the 1st Session of the UN-Habitat Assembly, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
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High-Level Segment
Delegates gather in plenary for the High-Level Segment
UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif
Martha Delgado Peralta, UNHA 1 President
Moderator Julie Gichuru, Media Personality, Kenya
President Salva Kiir, South Sudan
Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, Yemen
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, Fiji
President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya
Heads of State sign a graffiti murial painted by young women as a keepsake for UNHA 1
High-Level Interactive Strategic Dialogue: Creating an Enabling Environment for Innovation through Policy
Panel speakers for the event (L-R): Moderator Julie Gichuru; Wallis Goelen, European Commission; Irene Campos Gómez, Minister of Housing and Human Settlement, Costa Rica; Fatimetou Abdel Malick, President, Nouakchott Regional Council; Siraj Sait, Director, University of East London; and Elin Olsson, State Secretary to the Minister for Financial Markets and Housing, Sweden
Elin Olsson, State Secretary to the Minister for Financial Markets and Housing, Sweden
Fatimetou Abdel Malick, President, Nouakchott Regional Council
Wallis Goelen, European Commission
Siraj Sait, Director, University of East London
High-Level Interactive Strategic Dialogue: Implementation, Partnerships and Good Practices for Cities and Communities
Panel speakers (L-R): Moderator Julie Gichuru; Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UN Environment Programme (UNEP); Noraini Binti Roslan, Mayor of Subang Java, Malaysia; Ridwan Kamil, Governor of West Java, Indonesia; Basim bin Yacoub Al‐Hamer, Minister of Housing, Bahrain; Cezanne Maherali, Head of Policy East Africa, Uber; and Alex Awiti, The Aga Khan University, Kenya
Cezanne Maherali, Head of Policy East Africa, Uber
Noraini Binti Roslan, Mayor of Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Alex Awiti, The Aga Khan University, Kenya
Basim bin Yacoub Al‐Hamer, Minister of Housing, Bahrain
Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP
High-Level Interactive Strategic Dialogue: Investing in Urban Innovation
Panel speakers (L-R): Moderator Julie Gichuru; Shimoy Hajare, Youth Representative; Marc Collins Chen, Co‐Founder and CEO, Oceanix; Marina Klemensiewicz, Secretary of Urban Infrastructure, Ministry of Interior, Argentina; Ullrich Sierau, Mayor of Dortmund, Germany; James Hanna, Director of Data Center Community Development, Microsoft; and François Pitti, Director for Innovation, Bouygues, France
Shimoy Hajare, Youth Representative
Marc Collins Chen, Co‐Founder and CEO, Oceanix
James Hanna, Director of Data Center Community Development, Microsoft
Marina Klemensiewicz, Secretary of Urban Infrastructure, Ministry of Interior, Argentina
Special Events
Partnerships and Pledging Conference (L-R): Moderator Julie Gichuru; Naser Khraibut, Kuwait; Lars Gronveld, Director-General for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission; Irene Campos Gómez, Minister of Housing and Human Settlement, Costa Rica; Armand Roland Pierre Béouindé, Mayor of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Alexandre Pinho, Microsoft, Portugal
Pins are placed on a world map to indicate where pledges have been made towards UN-Habitat's work.
The total contributions of all pledges are tracked throughout the day as new commitments are made.
The Local and Regional Governments Forum focused on the role of local and regional governments in implementing Agenda 2030 and how the NUA constitutes an accelerator to achieve the SDGs at the local level.
Dignitaries around the venue
President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya, arrives at the UN Office at Nairobi (UNON).
Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, Yemen
President Salva Kiir, South Sudan
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, Fiji
Dignitaries sign the UNON Guestbook, a record of all Heads of State and Government who have visited the campus.
The dignitaries meet informally before the start of the High-Level Segment.
Susannah Price, Head of Communications Branch, UN-Habitat Secretariat, interviews Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, Yemen, during a press conference.
Around the Venue
Presidential security around the venue
Yunus Arikan, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (L), speaks with a delegate
Elkin Velasquez Monsalve, Regional Director of UN-Habitat in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Doug Ragan, Youth and Livelihoods, UN-Habitat
Shipra Narang-Suri, Urban Planning and Design Branch, UN-Habitat
UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif and Monica Juma, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kenya
Representatives from the #BeatAirPollution campaign encourage delegates to 'join the mask challenge' to help raise awareness about the need for healthier cities.
A photographic exhibition captures how human habitation influences all areas of life.
Displays around the venue provide information about the work of UN-Habitat in different fields.
