UN Member States have renewed their commitment to sustainable urbanization and pledged to accelerate the implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA). Recognizing sustainable urban development as a key driver of poverty and hunger eradication, economic growth, social inclusion, resilience, and environmental sustainability, they reaffirmed the importance of the NUA’s coherence with relevant global frameworks and mechanisms.

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the pre-negotiated political declaration on the opening day of the Assembly’s high-level meeting on the NUA’s midterm review, which took place in New York, US, from 16-17 July 2026. Malawi and Poland had co-facilitated the intergovernmental negotiations towards the 13-page Political Declaration to Renew Commitment and Accelerate the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda.

The political declaration recommits Member States to actions aiming to achieve: sustainable urban development for social inclusion and ending poverty; sustainable and inclusive urban prosperity and opportunities for all; environmentally sustainable and resilient urban development; and effective implementation, multilevel governance, and partnerships. The declaration recognizes data, technology, and innovation as critical enablers of sustainable urban development and calls upon relevant UN entities to enhance coordination and support for the implementation of the NUA.

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The UN Secretary-General is mandated to report on progress in the NUA’s implementation every four years. Together, the high-level meeting and this year’s report (A/80/696-E/2026/53) serve as the Agenda’s mid-term review. The report finds that while cities and local and regional governments find themselves “increasingly at the forefront of solutions,” “implementation has not kept pace with the growing scale and complexity of housing and urban challenges.”

In her remarks at the opening segment of the high-level meeting, UNGA President Annalena Baerbock highlighted that 58% of the world’s population reside in cities and that this number is projected to increase to 70% by 2050. She underscored that while urbanization can accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, “the opposite is also true,” calling upon Member States to close financing gaps, strengthen local governments, build capacity, invest in resilience, and “connect the dots” across interlinked global frameworks.

Governments adopted the New Urban Agenda in 2016 at the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development in Quito, Ecuador. Endorsed by the UNGA that same year, the NUA outlines “a shared vision that properly planned and managed urbanization can serve as a powerful tool for sustainable development.”

The NUA’s midterm review coincided with the in-depth review of SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) at the 2026 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). [High-Level Meeting on NUA’s Midterm Review] [UN Meetings Coverage] [Publication: Progress in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda: Report of the Secretary-General]