UN-Habitat (United Nations)
A global framework for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban development addressing various societal challenges.
The New Urban Agenda is a global framework for sustainable urban development adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development in 2016. It aims to drive inclusive and resilient cities, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals. The agenda emphasizes the importance of urban planning, equal opportunities, basic services, climate action, and innovative initiatives. Despite slow progress in implementation, efforts are being made to revitalize its impact through a high-level UN meeting in 2022.
The New Urban Agenda is a global framework adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador on October 20, 2016. It provides a shared vision and roadmap for building sustainable, inclusive, safe and resilient cities.
Key points about the New Urban Agenda:
- It mobilizes member states and stakeholders to drive sustainable urban development at the local level, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities[1][3][4].
- It lays out standards and principles for the planning, construction, development, management and improvement of urban areas along five main pillars: national urban policies, urban legislation and regulations, urban planning and design, local economy and municipal finance, and local implementation[3].
- It highlights linkages between good urbanization and job creation, livelihood opportunities and improved quality of life[2][3].
- It calls for providing basic services for all citizens, ensuring equal opportunities, promoting cleaner cities, strengthening resilience, addressing climate change, respecting the rights of refugees and migrants, and supporting innovative and green initiatives[4].
- Implementation requires action in areas like inclusive urban planning, a new social contract, climate action, and optimizing the interlinkages with other global commitments like the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development[5][6].
- Five years after its adoption, progress has been slow, with only 20 countries so far preparing national implementation reports. An upcoming high-level UN meeting in 2022 aims to revitalize the implementation of the New Urban Agenda[5][7].
In summary, the New Urban Agenda provides a comprehensive framework to guide inclusive and sustainable urbanization globally, but translating its vision into action remains an ongoing challenge that requires mobilization across all levels of government and society.
Citations: [1] https://www.urbanagendaplatform.org/nua [2] https://gltn.net/2022/03/10/the-new-urban-agenda-illustrated/ [3] https://plataformaurbana.cepal.org/en/new-urban-agenda [4] https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2016/10/newurbanagenda/ [5] https://www.undp.org/blog/five-years-taking-stock-new-urban-agenda [6] https://unhabitat.org/about-us/new-urban-agenda [7] https://habitat3.org/the-new-urban-agenda/ [8] https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/New-Urban-Agenda?language=en_US