HABITAT III: 'Take strong ownership' of vital new agenda to create cities of the future, Ban urges world's mayors
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged Mayors across the world to “take strong ownership” of a new global agenda for sustainable development in the towns and cities they represent.
Speaking to a gathering of some 400 mayors, representatives of local authorities and urban partner organizations, Mr. Ban made this call in the Ecuadorian capital, Quito, on the eve of the official opening of the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, known by the shorthand Habitat III, which aims to re-think the planning and management of towns and cities across the world, through the adoption a the New Urban Agenda.
Your inputs into the New Urban Agenda were invaluable.
The Agenda, an action-oriented framework which will set global standards for achievement in sustainable urban development, should be prioritized alongside implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and its 17 Global Goals, or SDGs, agreed by 193 UN Member States just over a year ago in New York, added the Secretary-General.
He pointed Goal 11, which “pledges to make human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” And in that regard, “elected officials, Mayors, Governors and Councillors, are the forefront of the battle for sustainable development,” he said, to loud applause from delegates to the Second World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments, also known as the World Mayors Assembly.
“In short, your role is growing by the year […] You are faced with the immediate daily demands of your people: for housing, transport, infrastructure, and basic services.”
The Habitat III conference has been 20 years in the making; the third global summit of its kind, dedicated to housing and sustainable urban development.
By hosting the conference, Quito becomes the first city in the “Global South” to take on the role, and thousands have gathered to the picturesque capital, which straddles the equator. The city, with its historic and picturesque centre, was declared, a World Heritage Site by the UN Educational and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) in 1978.
Mayors and the New Urban Agenda
Urban development is seen as an increasingly important priority for the United Nations, as the world urban population is set to nearly double by 2050.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) arrives in Quito, Ecuador, and is greeted by Joan Clos, Secretary-General of the Habitat III Conference. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon talks with vendor while visiting the historic centre of Quito Ecuador during his trip to attend the Second World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (2nd left) arrives at the opening of the Second World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments in Quito, Ecuador. The event includes over 400 Mayors, Elected officials, Governors and Councillors representing local authorities and urban partner organizations. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) greets participants after delivering his remarks at the opening of the Second World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments in Quito, Ecuador. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) meets with Guillaume Long (right), Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ecuador. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Peter Thomson (on big screens), President of the General Assembly 71st Session, delivers remarks at the opening of the Second World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments in Quito, Ecuador. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (far left, near large screen) speaks during an official dinner hosted by Mauricio Rodas, Mayor of Quito, Ecuador. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre left) meets with United Nations Country Team in Ecuador. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Mr. Ban praised the invaluable role played by mayors and other local government leaders, in devising the New Urban Agenda.
Although national governments must play a strong role in devising legislation and policies to make cities grow sustainably in the future, it was local and regional leaders who would have to “implement these visions on the ground.”
Indeed, he said: “[You] must make the tough decisions on which issues to prioritize – because you have to manage budgets and balance sheets. You are accountable to national governments, and in many cases, to your local voters too […].Your inputs into the New Urban Agenda were invaluable.”
The development Goals and also the commitment to curb carbon emissions made through the Paris Agreement on climate change last December, would be “under your direct leadership,” he told delegates in the main hall of Quito's Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana.
“Take strong ownership of this vital agenda. Stand up for the people you represent,” he added.