News in 2014
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Expert Group Meeting on Sustainable Urban Development In
Asia and the Pacific
“our struggle for sustainability will be won or lost in the cities”
Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General, 2012
2-3 December 2014, UNCC, Bangkok, Thailand
The United Nations has recognized the importance of urbanization and will
be convening the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable
Urban Development (Habitat III) in 2016. A “New Urban Agenda” will be
adopted then. Habitat III will be the first United Nations global summit
after the adoption of the “Internationally Agreed Development Goals” in
2015. UN Secretary General when addressing a delegation of mayors in 2012
said, “our struggle for sustainability will be won or lost in the cities”.
The Asia-Pacific region is still predominantly rural but urbanizing
rapidly and with it, social, environmental and economic implications. What’s
staggering of the region is the numbers or statistics – the region currently
has an urban population of more than 2 billion that includes 14 megacities
with a population of over 227 million and is expected to reach the 50% level
of urbanization in 2018. Megacities, cities and towns in the region has vast
and growing ecological footprints and economic growth and urbanization has
been accompanied by growing environmental challenges such as air pollution,
waste generation and congestion. Sustainable urban development will play a
critical role in the pursuit of sustainable development in Asia-Pacific,
home to 53% or the world’s urban population.
The Expert Group Meeting on “Sustainable Urban Development in Asia and
the Pacific: Towards a New Urban Agenda” was organized to identify priority
issues that could be deliberated at the upcoming 6th Asia Pacific Urban
Forum (May 2015) and leading into Habitat III (October 2016).
The Asia-Pacific Urban Forum (APUF) is a multi-stakeholder forum
organized periodically every 4 – 5 years by United Nations Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) with the aim to provide a
regional platform for urban actors to –
- Discuss emerging and critical urban development issues from the
perspectives of different stakeholders;
- Share experiences on good practices and approaches; and
- Explore cooperation opportunities and links to regional and global
processes and development objectives.
The Expert Group Meeting is a multi-stakeholder meeting providing for
open dialogue and discussion that reflected regional concerns and
priorities. The EGM was organized with the following objectives:
- Identify and discuss emerging issues related to the sustainable
urban development in Asia and the Pacific reflecting key inputs from
stakeholders working in the urban sector;
- Identify and discuss priority issues for the region in relation to
the post-2015 Development Agenda and Habitat III, which could be
discussed at APUF-6; and
- Substantially engage key regional partners in the organization of
APUF-6 as a multi-stakeholder forum, specifically through an inclusive
participatory process.
The Director, Environment and Development Division (EDD), ESCAP, Mr.
Rae-Kwon Chung welcomed all the participants when he spoke at the Opening
Session of the EGM.
FIG, represented by its President, participated and made a presentation
outlining the importance of land and secure tenure rights in addressing the
sustainable urban development challenges and aspirations in Asia and the
Pacific.
The first APUF was held in Bangkok in 1993. The Sixth APUF will precede
the High-Level Regional Preparatory Meeting to Habitat III for Asia-Pacific
aiming to –
- Discuss persistent and emerging issues related to sustainable urban
development in Asia Pacific, and in particular priority areas that
should be addressed in the Post 2015 Development Agenda; and
- Provide recommendations to the High-Level Regional Preparatory
Meeting for Habitat III for Asia-Pacific in terms of priority issues for
the region to be considered in the “New Urban Agenda” to be adopted at
Habitat III.
The outcomes of both APUF-6 and the High Level Regional Preparatory
Meeting are expected to feed directly into the Habitat III process.
TEO CheeHai
FIG president
December 2014
11 December 2014
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