Urban Symmetry - Mainstreaming Sustainable Urbanization Through Trilateral South-South Cooperation

The panel will present Trilateral South–South Cooperation as a strategic mechanism for advancing the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular emphasis on SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities. It will convene governments, technical institutions, and multilateral partners engaged in initiatives supported by the Government of Brazil, UN-Habitat, and partner countries from the Global South, illustrating how international commitments are translated into concrete and transformative urban actions. Drawing on the experience of the Urban Symmetry Programme and its subprojects—including initiatives focused on strengthening institutional capacities for housing policies and Social Housing Technical Assistance (ATHIS)—the panel will showcase how urban policies, methodologies, and tools developed in Brazil have been adapted to diverse local contexts. These adaptations have generated measurable impacts across social, economic, environmental, and governance dimensions, underscoring the central role of adequate housing in the broader challenge of sustainable urbanization and its importance for advancing the 2030 Agenda. The panel pursues three core objectives: to demonstrate how Trilateral South–South Cooperation accelerates the implementation of urban SDGs and the New Urban Agenda; to promote the exchange of solutions that are transferable, replicable, and scalable; and to strengthen collaboration among global, national, and local actors in order to enhance the impact of SDG-aligned urban policies. In line with UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan 2026–2029, the discussion will also reaffirm the World Urban Forum (WUF) as a key milestone for the global coalition and as a platform for action, collective learning, and mobilization to address shared challenges and promote more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities. The panel will bring together representatives of the institutions cooperating under the Urban Symmetry Programme, including the Brazilian Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ABC/MRE), which jointly coordinates the programme with UN-Habitat Brazil; the Government of Cabo Verde, through the Ministry of Infrastructure, Spatial Planning and Housing (MIOTH); Brazil’s Ministry of Cities (MCID), through the National Secretariat for Peripheries and the National Secretariat for Housing; the Councils of Architecture and Urbanism of Brazil and of São Paulo; the João Pinheiro Foundation; and Caixa.