Sdg Cities Global Community harnessing the power of cooperation for the sustainable development of cities and territories

The rapid urbanization of our world demands concerted efforts to harness cities as engines of sustainable development. With over half of the global population residing in urban areas, the achievement of SDGs hinges on effective urban planning and management. UN-Habitat aims to harness the power of partnerships and the global network of cities, subnational governments, countries and stakeholders working on localization.

To accomplish this goal UN-Habitat aims to launch the SDG Cities Global Community which will provide cities and subnational governments worldwide with unique opportunities for partnerships, peer-learning & capacity-building, advocacy, visibility & awareness raising and mobilization. The SDG Cities Global Community will serve as an integral component of UN-Habitat corporate offer on SDG Localization and builds on the SDG Cities Global Initiative, as well as the Regions4SDGs initiative, and their comprehensive approaches to support SDG implementation in cities and territories.

The SDG Cities Global Initiative, aiming to support 1000 cities, offers a systematic sustainable urban development approach of data, strategic planning, institutional strengthening and investment for impact through tools, technical support hubs, and strategic partnerships to accelerate sustainable and resilient urbanization. Regions4 Sustainable Development is a global network of subnational governments working as a voice for states, regions and provinces before UN negotiations and global discussions in the fields of sustainable development, climate change and biodiversity. In partnership with UN Habitat, Regions4has launched the Regions4SDGs initiative to involve subnational governments worldwide in a common effort to build capacity, mobilize finance and strengthen political leadership supporting the implementation of SDGs. The project capitalizes on the best practices developed by subnational governments during the first half of the Agenda 2030 journey and aims to mobilize states, regions and provinces as integral members of the SDG Cities Global Community.

The event will serve as a platform for diverse stakeholders such as governments of all levels, financing institutions, and academia, to exchange practices, explore innovative solutions, and forge partnerships harnessing the power of cooperation to accelerate sustainable urban and territorial development, ultimately making use of the SDG Cities and Regions4 networks. Utilizing thematic entry points of interactive discussion such as localization, urban finance and the SDG Cities and Regions4SDGs initiatives, panelists will engage on the diverse stakeholder experiences to boost the implementation of the SDGs.

By collectively leveraging resources and expertise, cities and regions within the SDG Cities Global Community network can amplify their impact and drive meaningful progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.