Sukaina Al-Nasrawi
Moderator
Meet the first three Arab cities to develop SDG Voluntary Local Reviews: Amman, Madinah, and Agadir. Their practices are beacons of inspiration in SDG localization and highlight how to build urban resilience. Don’t miss Madinah’s Networking Event.
In today's rapidly urbanizing world, cities are at the forefront of sustainable development efforts. With over half of the global population residing in urban areas, cities play a pivotal role in achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and building resilient communities. Local governments, organizations, and communities increasingly recognise the importance of collaborative networking to address complex urban challenges and advance sustainable development agendas.
Madinah’s networking event seeks to delve into the strategies, initiatives, and partnerships that empower local stakeholders to drive positive change within their communities. By focusing on the intersection of sustainable development goals and urban resilience, the discussion aims to highlight the critical role of local action in building inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities for all.
The event is a journey of discovery, focusing on understanding how cities integrate the global SDGs into their local development plans, policies, and initiatives in their quest for SDG localization. It explores good practices based on the pioneering first three Arab cities in developing Voluntary Local Reviews, namely Amman(Jordan), Madinah (Saudi Arabia), and Agadir (Morocco). These practices serve as beacons of inspiration, highlighting how to build urban resilience and examining the strategies and best practices employed by cities to enhance resilience in the face of environmental, social, and economic shocks. It underscores the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration, community engagement, and innovative solutions in building adaptive and resilient urban systems.
Harnessing the power of networking is key to this event. The event explores how cities leverage networks, partnerships, and platforms to share knowledge and resources and showcase city-to-city cooperation, regional initiatives, and global networks for sustainable urban development. Last, yet importantly, the event aims to scale impact by identifying opportunities for expanding successful local initiatives and replicating innovative solutions across cities and regions. Through interactive discussions and diverse perspectives, the event aims to inspire actionable insights for advancing local sustainable development and building resilient cities.
- Highlight regional good practices in following up and reviewing the localization of the SDGs and building resilience.
- Explore the role of Voluntary Local Reviews as a tool for assessing the city's strengths and opportunities for development.
- Raise awareness of the importance of networking and partnerships in fostering local development.
- Promote good practices in fostering horizontal and vertical partnerships to promote policy coherence.
- Highlight the centrality of data collection at the local level and the role of urban observatories in collecting and enhancing data quality that can be used in multiple ways.
- Promote using new and innovative technologies to connect with other cities and transcend country borders.
- Promote the diversification and alignment of policies, leading to greater openness for the city to explore and adopt non-traditional methods and solutions.
- Present an agile model for making a city more resilient, as shown in the case of Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
- Present a forum for global, regional, national, and local knowledge exchange and good practices.