Highlights for Thursday, 30 May 2019
A delegate tests out a virtual reality headset to explore the 10th World Urban Forum to be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
On Thursday, the UN-Habitat Assembly (UNHA 1) elected its Executive Board and hosted its first Board meeting. The Executive Board elected Lori Dando (US) as Chair, and adopted its agenda and rules of procedure.In plenary, delegates heard national statements. A high-level session on innovative mobility for sustainable cities in Africa took place in the afternoon, exploring the policy dimensions of urban mobility. Three youth events engaged in an inter-regional dialogue; shared innovative approaches to Community Centers; and presented the Nairobi Hackathon Award. Seven events were held on the City Stage, on: a city changer game; house for all; a film screening on the sound of waste; the Makerthon Elevator Pitch; the World Environment Day; cutting-edge approaches to housing design; and earth observations and geospatial information technologies in support of sustainable development and urban monitoring. A Women’s event provided a platform for sharing new approaches, key events, and engagement opportunities for grassroots women, women leaders, and organizations.A press conference focused on urban displacement and sustainable development, and two press center events addressed the effectiveness of planning law in sub-Saharan Africa and innovative solid waste management approaches. Fifteen side events were held at lunchtime and in the afternoon, focusing on, inter alia:
affordable housing and sustainable solid waste management as drivers of innovation;
fostering innovation to accelerate implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) and ways to finance it;
blue economy and cities;
new perspectives and strategic interventions integrating slums and informal settlements as well as implementing the NUA in these settlements; and
strengthening urban-rural linkages to reduce spatial inequalities and poverty.
In the evening, a reception was organized by Nairobi City County and a Cities4All Concert brought together musicians, actors, and spoken word performers, with live streaming from concurrent concerts in Dandora, Mathare, and Kibera, all informal settlements in Nairobi.
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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Morning Plenary
Martha Delgado Peralta, UNHA 1 President
Célia Ramos, Secretary of State for Urban Planning and Conservation of Nature, Portugal
Andrii Praveduyk, Ambassador of Ukraine to Kenya
Gabriel Ferrero y de Loma-Osorio, Director-General for Sustainable Development Policies, Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation Ministry, Spain
Camila Zepeda, Director-General for Global Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mexico
Gaétan Siew, Mauritius
Filomeno Martins da Silva, Timor Leste
Agrina Mussa, Ambassador of Malawi to Kenya
Lisa Stadelbauer, High Commissioner of Canada in Nairobi, speaking on behalf of Canada and Australia
Elizabeth Taylor, Permanent Representative of Colombia to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
Beng Hong Socheat Khemro, Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction, Cambodia
Maurice Bonanet, Minister of Urban Planning and Housing, Burkina Faso
Siraj Sait, Global Stakeholder Forum
Didier Vancutsem, Habitat Professionals Forum
Events Throughout the Day
A press conference with UN-Habitat Stakeholders about the Global Stakeholders Forum held before UNHA 1.
Participants share ideas during the City Stage Event: House for all, leaving no one behind.
Executive Board Meeting
Delegates gather for the first meeting of the Executive Board.
Fernando Coimbra, Brazil
Lori Dando, US, Chair of the Executive Board
Marek Garztecki, Poland
Tong Guichan, China
High-Level Session on Innovative Mobility for Sustainable Cities in Africa
Panel speakers for Policy-Making (L-R): Moderator Oliver Lah, Wupperthal Institut, Germany; Jane Akumu, UN Environment Programme (UNEP); Damia Calvet i Valera, Regional Minister of Territory and Sustainability, Catalonia, Spain; James Macharia, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Kenya; Claver Gatete, Minister of Infrastructure, Rwanda; Tazer Gebreegziabher Berha, State Minister, Ministry of Urban Development and Construction, Ethiopia; and Noureddine Selmi, Minister of Equipment, Housing and Territorial Planning, Tunisia
Andre Dzikus, Urban Basic Services Branch, UN-Habitat
Rafael Tuts, Director of Programme Division, UN-Habitat
Maruxa Cardama, Secretary-General, Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT)
Sylvain Haon, Senior Director, Strategy, Union Internationale des Transports Publics (UITP)
Zemedkun Girma Tessema, Africa Transport Policy Programme (SSATP), World Bank
Panel speakers for Operationalizing Mobility Policies (L-R): Moderator Oliver Lah, Wupperthal Institut, Germany; Susan Goodwilie, Flone Initiative;Amanda Ngabirano, Vice President, World Cycling Alliance; Winnie Mitullah, Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi, Kenya; Chris Kost, Africa Director, Institute for Transporation and Development Policy (ITDP); and Edwins Mukabanah, Chairman, Federation of Public Transport Sector Operators, Kenya
Around the Venue
Delegates consult between sessions.
Delegates meet informally.
In the Urban Solutions Exposition, a model of an aluminum mold that helps to increase the speed of construction by up to 85%, is on display.
Alternative housing models demonstrate how human settlements could be designed to be more sustainable to meet growing demand in urban areas.
Examples of household composters and water harvesting technologies on display.
A model of urban design in Kenya.
