The purpose of the project is to
contribute to the advancement of the coordinated implementation of the New
Urban Agenda; to ensure that sustainable urban development is increasingly
incorporated in the political and media global agenda; and to ensure that
knowledge and awareness are created at all level including the general public.
In particular the project, while addressing the overall issue related to rapid
urbanization with its challenges and opportunities, seeks to contribute to
bridge the existing gaps on:
Lack
of legitimated, fully inclusive global platforms within the UN system for
exchange of experience and knowledge on sustainable urbanization
Poor
sectorial integration, coordination and cooperation among different
constituencies dealing with sustainable urban development related subjects,
which may hamper an effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
Insufficient
advocacy and awareness on sustainable urbanization, which if improved could be
the key to include the item in the global political and media agenda
Need
to create a strong platform that will substantively feed in the follow-up and
review process of the New Urban Agenda
Need
to raise the profile of UN-Habitat as a focal point for the United Nations
system in implementing the New Urban Agenda in an integrated and collaborative
way
In
addition, the project seeks to contribute to raising the profile of UN-Habitat
as a leading agency in the field of urbanization, along with the consolidation
of its knowledge base and the incorporation of the conference outcomes in the
strategies and work of the agency from the normative to the operation level.
The
main target population of the project is constituted by decision makers like, national
and subnational government representatives, parliamentarians, as well as other
actors like intergovernmental organizations, academia, civil society
organizations, grassroots, women and youth, professionals, private sector,
foundations and general public.
Decision
makers will benefit through their learning on how to make decisions based on
international good policies and practices, coordination mechanisms,
partnerships and synergies shared during the World Urban Forum. The same is
valid for all other constituency partners, including the general public that
has to influence, support and sustain the policy and decision-making process.
The
project responds to the real needs and priorities of target groups, creating
tailored and accessible spaces and activities for each category of partners as
well as spaces for interaction. In addition, a results based management
approach to the preparation and implementation of the Forum ensures that
conclusions are drawn from the event and outcomes shared by all participants as
well as brought to higher levels of decision making.
In
particular the WUF9 will act as an important opportunity to gather substantive
inputs to successively feed into the strategy and work of UN-Habitat and the
global discussion on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
UN-Habitat
will ensure that all priority action areas of the New Urban Agenda are
mainstreamed in the main debates in order to put its knowledge base as well as
its technical and high-level policy advisors at the disposal of all
participants and at the same time collect feedbacks for successive
consolidation.
The
active involvement and participation of all constituencies from the preparation
to the implementation in consolidation of outcomes will be key for the success
of the project which seeks the central involvement of Member States of the
governing body of UN-Habitat and the World Urban Forum host country.
The Government of Malaysia and
the city of Kuala Lumpur, as well as future hosts, will also play a key role
not only to ensure an effective preparation of the Forum but also as a living
urban laboratory open to participants, where several strategies and urban tools
are being implemented, and a model of sustainable urban development is shown to
the world. To this aim several physical and non-physical interventions will be
implemented in order to leave a tangible legacy to the host city and its
citizens.
