United Nations's video: The New Urban Agenda offers a clear roadmap to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals -UNHabitat

The Executive Director of UN-Habitat Maimunah Mohd Sharif said, “the New Urban Agenda offers a clear roadmap to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal and also equitable future for all.” Speaking to reporters today (28 Apr) in New York, Sharif said that the UN Habitat is working with sister agencies in the UN “hopes to support Member States, particularly in the least developed countries and the small island development states to align social and economic planning.” She said, “only by doing so, can we integrate sustainable urbanization with national, regional and local government.” The UN-Habitat chief also said, “our effort to respond to multiple crisis, help economic and conflicts, rescue the Sustainable Development Goals and revive the Paris Agreement commitments will largely depend on how we manage our urbanization.” She also said, that “the report of the Secretary-General calls upon Member States to integrate the provision of adequate and affordable housing as a driver of equitable development,” adding that “along with healthcare, jobs, education and digital assets, housing is central to a package of social protections system.” Sharif continued, “we need better planning and sound urban policies to address climate mitigation and adaptation. So by aligning special and economic development, we can protect biodiversity and reduce pollution.” She added that to “identify ways to amplify the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in countries in post conflict and post disasters situations,” is needed. UN Habitat, as a custodian Agency responsible for the New Urban Agenda, “calls upon all member states to strengthen multi-level governance, engage local governments in inter-governmental and national planning processes, and perhaps most critically, to finance the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.” The President of the General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, today convened a high-level meeting to assess progress in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. The meeting is held in accordance with General Assembly resolution 75/224, and in collaboration with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme or UN-Habitat. The New Urban Agenda was developed and adopted in 2016 to address urban challenges and promote sustainable urbanization for sustainable development. Today’s meeting aims to position the New Urban Agenda as a road map for accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, notably Sustainable Development Goal 11 in conjunction with climate action, women’s empowerment, local engagement at city levels, urban resilience, and with building peaceful, inclusive, and participatory societies for livable cities.