From 26 to 30 June, ESCWA participated in the 11th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF 11) organized by UN-Habitat in Katowice, Poland, and co-led a series of events with different partners.
In a panel on the state of Arab Cities, discussions focused on accelerating the localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Arab cities and reporting and monitoring progress through the development of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs). It also shed light on the experiences of Amman and Agadir.
In another event, ESCWA and its partners tackled the implementations of the National Urban Agenda (NUA), and highlighted the necessity to strengthen the capacities of national and local authorities to promote resilience and recovery post-COVID-19.
ESCWA also explored ways to harness VLRs to achieve transformative change at the city level, and focused on how it considers local reviews as a way to change positively the lives of people whoever and wherever they are. Such reviews provide the evidence needed to support countries and cities in enacting the adequate policies that ensure a decent life for future generations.
Additionally, ESCWA launched the Arabic version of the “Illustrated Handbook on the New Urban Agenda” and the related e-learning crash course on the NUA. It also highlighted the centrality of utilizing digital tools and approaches, deliver relevant, engaging, flexible and effective capacity-building support to urban stakeholders and beneficiaries globally.
