Speakers underscored that implementing the New Urban Agenda helps measure actions and create synergies among SDG-related initiatives.
UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif stressed that SDG 11 plays a fundamental role in catalyzing all 17 SDGs, especially those related to energy, economy, environment, society, and science and technology.
12 July 2018: On Thursday, 12 July 2018, on the sidelines of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) convened an event to provide inputs to the HLPF review of SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). The event focused on enhancing interlinkages and policy coherence across the SDGs, and key enablers to accelerate SDG 11 implementation, monitoring and financing.
During the event titled, ‘Effective Implementation, Monitoring and Financing of SDG 11,’ speakers underscored that implementing the New Urban Agenda (NUA) helps measure actions and create synergies among SDG-related initiatives.
UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif stressed that SDG 11 plays a fundamental role in catalyzing all 17 SDGs, especially those related to energy, economy, environment, society, and science and technology. She said that UN-Habitat’s City Prosperity Initiative (CPI) offers tools and methodologies for cities to formulate policies and monitor and report progress.
Urban Agenda for the EU is a multi-level cooperation mechanism that aims to involve cities in the design and implementation of EU funding and legislation.
Sylvia Meier-Kajbic, Austria and EU Presidency, noted the EU’s efforts to integrate the SDGs into its policies, including through the EU Cohesion Policy that promotes local implementation of national urban policies.
Thomas De Bethune, European Commission, outlined Urban Agenda for the EU, a multi-level cooperation mechanism that aims to involve cities in the design and implementation of EU funding and legislation, and include the urban dimension in EU policies.
Alicia Bárcena, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Executive Director, discussed deepening regional efforts for successful implementation of SDG 11, including through a regional observatory for comparative analyses of national urban plans.
Speakers also highlighted: Mexico’s efforts to integrate the SDGs into national urban policies; a study on urban planning and social housing in Mexico that provides guidelines for coordinating data and developing urban indicators; challenges related to securing development finance for cites; and the need to improve coordination between central and local governments to enhance transparency on how money is spent and data are utilized. [IISD RS Coverage of Side Event on SDG 11] [Urban Agenda for the EU Website] [CPI Website]