Abu Dhabi will host the Tenth World Urban Forum (WUF10) on 8-13 February 2020, as a high-level forum convened by UN-Habitat aimed at addressing the challenges of sustainable urbanisation. This year, the forum will explore the role of culture and innovation in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and achieving urban dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Among its aims, the forum will promote collaboration and cooperation between different stakeholders and constituencies engaged in the advancement and implementation of sustainable urbanisation.

Regions4, as a member of the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, invites regional stakeholders worldwide to participate in the events organised by and specifically addressed to the subnational constituency:

WUF10 Assemblies

The Assemblies are designed and organised to mobilise a large audience at the World Urban Forum and discuss the most relevant issues for the constituency to advance on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. Recommendations from the Assemblies are expected to inform the participation and contributions of the related groups across the successive programme of sessions during the World Urban Forum.

The Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments convenes the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments, acknowledged in the New Urban Agenda adopted at the Third UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), as a follow-up mechanism, providing a dialogue platform between national governments and local and regional authorities and being a privileged interlocutor for the UN and other international partners.

To be held on Sunday 8 February, the Assembly will orchestrate the presentation of the key policy positions of the local and regional government’s constituency to support an inclusive and participatory decision-making process for a scaled-up implementation of the New Urban Agenda at all levels.

WUF10 High-Level Roundtables

The High-Level Roundtables are the highest-level segment, featuring key decision-makers and the most iconic figures, to deliberate on a set of subjects in line with the theme of the World Urban Forum 10, including high profile emerging issues and global trends. The High-Level Roundtables aim to take the debate on the linkages between sustainable urbanisation and the development agenda to the next level, collecting key reflections on the status of and way forward to the implementation of the New Urban Agenda to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Organised by the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, the Local and Regional Governments Roundtable will take place on Monday 9 February as a dialogue that will bring together Mayors and Ministers from different countries around the world to share experiences and thoughts about what changes in urban governance are necessary to make the New Urban Agenda and the SDGs a reality for all.

WUF10 Stakeholders’ Roundtables

An array of roundtable meetings with various partner constituent groups, such as parliamentarians and civil society organisations, will promote strong participation of stakeholders ensuring their inclusion in the identification of new issues, the sharing of lessons learned and the exchange of urban solutions and policies for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

WUF 10 Networking, Side and Training Events

An opportunity to contribute to and leverage the relevance of the World Urban Forum for strengthening partnerships, call for new alliances as well as launching joint initiatives on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and further strengthening the knowledge, awareness and capacity development dimensions of the World Urban Forum.

To find out about participation opportunities for your regional government, do not hesitate to contact Ivy de Moraes, Regions4 Sustainable Development Programme Manager at imoraes@regions4.org  

Regions at the New Urban Agenda

In October 2016 global leaders welcomed the New Urban Agenda adopted at HABITAT III, which would guide the efforts of nations, regions and cities, international organisations and the UN’s programmes to achieve sustainable urban development in the next 20 years.

The New Urban Agenda has multiple connections beyond itself and contributes directly to achieving the targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Agreement, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Addis Ababa Action Agenda and several other international frameworks and agreements. Its successful implementation entails integrated efforts at all levels of government (regional, national and local), awareness and advocacy, availability of financial resources, capacity development, innovation and engagement.

The Habitat III preparatory process included a regional track to capture the regional dimension in the formulation of the New Urban Agenda. Official substantive inputs to the process came through the Habitat III Regional Reports and substantive knowledge and political positioning were also advanced through the contribution of the discussions and outcomes Regional Ministerial Meetings, National Urban Forums, and other relevant events that were held in all regions in the lead-up to the Habitat III Conference.

According to the World Economic Forum, regional action plans and frameworks have been gradually recognised as the crucial delivery mechanism and are making the New Urban Agenda mainstream in urban decision-making while building links to other global agendas. Urban Agenda for the European Union, the Regional action plan for implementation of the New Urban Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Arab strategy for housing and sustainable urban development and the regional framework for Africa are all examples of coherence between regional agendas, the New Urban Agenda and global agendas.