Implementing the harmonised Global Urban Monitoring Framework (UMF) and its Shanghai Adaptation (The Shanghai Adapted Index/SAI) for monitoring SDGs/NUA and supporting VLRs and the SDG Cities Programme

The Statistical Commission and various GA resolutions urged UN-Habitat to develop innovative methods, approaches and guidelines for data collection, analysis, monitoring and implementation, with the objective of supporting Member States, when needed, in dealing with emerging urban challenges and opportunities as articulated in global, regional, and national agendas. This led to the development of the UMF which was presented to the 53rd Session of the Statistical Commission on March 2022. The Commission endorsed the UMF and its further implementation as part of a harmonized global urban United Nations system-wide strategy for monitoring SDGs and NUA and other regional, national, and subnational urban programmes. This event is organized to share progress on the implementation of the UMF, its Shanghai adaptation, on-going piloting efforts, the experiences of cities and experts in using the framework, and strategies for expanding its application. The Urban Monitoring Framework (UMF) harmonizes existing urban indexes and tools and offers a universal framework for measuring the urban Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA), as well as other regional and national urban agendas. It also serves as a monitoring tool for the UN-Habitat Flagship Programme on SDG Cities, supports the UN-system wide framework’s mandate on the implementation of the urban SDGs and aligns with Member States’ search for greater coherence to measure progress and report on the urban dimensions of the SDGs. It also addresses the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable urban development, including a rural-urban interlinkage, ensuring no one is left behind through the preparation of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs). As part of the UMF implementation, the UN-Habitat, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China (MOHURD) and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government collaborated to develop the Shanghai Adapted Index (SAI). The SAI is the first concrete implementation of UMF – characterised by a condensed set of Core UMF and adapted indicators – and has been crucial in showcasing how the UMF can be adapted while accounting for different urban dynamics.