Nairobi, May 26 (IANS) The momentum toward creation of smart, resilient and inclusive cities is on course despite challenges posed by the climate crisis, geopolitical tremors and global economic slowdown, a senior United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) official said on Monday.
Anaclaudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, said that sustainable urbanisation is an imperative to help secure a more equal, cohesive and green future for humanity.
“Our mandate of enabling inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable urbanisation has become increasingly clear and recognised,” Rossbach told the opening plenary of the third Open-Ended Meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (OECPR-3) in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
A precursor to the resumed second session of the UN-Habitat Assembly, slated for Thursday, the OECPR runs from Monday to Wednesday to discuss themes that are likely to shape the future for cities and their inhabitants.
Rossbach said that during the three-day OECPR meeting, delegates, including senior policymakers, diplomats, representatives of civil society, industry and academia, will assess progress toward realizing a new urban agenda, rooted in universal access to basic services such as housing, clean water and sanitation.
In addition, Rossbach said, the meeting will pay attention to planetary warming that has taken a toll on cities, worsening displacement, loss and damage, especially in the Global South.
Tapping into forward-looking leadership, smart policies, technologies and innovations will be key to realising the eleventh Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 11) that lays emphasis on sustainable cities and communities, Rossbach said, Xinhua news agency reported. She said that full implementation of the UN-Habitat’s strategic plan covering 2026-2029, which focuses on housing, land and basic services, will hasten urban renewal, while tackling social and ecological challenges facing city dwellers.
According to Rossbach, the global liquidity crisis, coupled with rapid geopolitical shifts, calls for innovative ways to finance activities aimed at realizing the sustainable urban agenda.
The multilateral system should be reformed, entrenching meritocracy, leveraging technology to boost efficiency and improving governance to secure a green and resilient future for rapidly growing cities, she said.
In the past year, UN-Habitat delivered significant impacts across more than 100 countries through expanding access to clean water, adequate housing, advancing climate resilience and supporting recovery in conflict-affected settings, Rossbach said.
“These efforts reflect our commitment to inclusive and sustainable urban transformation, and leaving no one behind,” she said.
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