12.05.2016

ICLEI responds to Zero Draft of the New Urban Agenda

In the process leading to the 3rd UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), the first draft of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) was released.

ICLEI aligns with the initial reactions of the Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments and welcomes this draft as rich in aspirations for action, but weak in mechanisms for implementing a transformative urban agenda.

ICLEI further welcomes:

1. The inclusive and innovative consultation process with various thematic meetings hosted by local governments.
2. The integration of new and innovative concepts around urban development, including concepts such as the right-to-the-city and the need for increased metropolitan governance.
3. The inclusion of proposals from stakeholders, such as reserving 20 percent of national budgets to local governments and the adoption of a UN Decade for Sustainable Urbanization.

ICLEI also recommends that:

1. SDG 11 on cities and the other SDGs be more strongly anchored in the NUA.
2. National governments make real commitments to action and specify concrete mechanisms for implementation.
3. Local and subnational sustainability action enhance global, multilateral efforts with the provision of sufficient capacity and resources.

Upcoming steps in the Habitat III process include informal negotiations, including hearings with Local Authorities this month and with civil society in June, the Preparatory Committee in July in Surabaya and the final conference in Quito in October.

Please click here to read the full response of ICLEI to Habitat III Zero Draft

For more information, see:

ICLEI Habitat III webpage

Habitat III Zero Draft of the New Urban Agenda

Habitat III Local Authorities Hearings on 16-17 May 2016

Global Task Force at Habitat III Local Authorities Hearings- #Listen2Cities

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