Forum aims for urban sustainability

To mark the first World Cities Day, the China-International Urban Development Forum: Towards a Sustainable Future was held Friday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Jointly organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oriental Outlook Weekly of Xinhua News Agency, the forum brought together senior officials from various cities, Government, United Nations, industry leaders, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Ambassadors to discuss how to shape the future of China’s urbanisation efforts.

“Sustainable development will define our urban future”, said Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations in a video message. “To citizens of world cities, I invite you to raise your voice; join us in helping the path of sustainability run through your hometown.”

Reflecting on the recent release of China’s New-Type Urbanisation Plan, the forum served as a platform for dialogue and knowledge sharing on balanced development prior to the Chinese government’s 13th Five-Year Plan as well as international input and best practice dissemination leading up to the post-2015 development agenda.

“The dynamism of cities represents a major sustainable development opportunity. By getting urban development on the right track, cities can offer job creation and better livelihoods,” said Alain Noudehou, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China. “They can also improve social inclusion, promote the decoupling of living standards and economic growth from environmental resource use, protect local and regional ecosystems, reduce both urban and rural poverty and drastically reduce pollution.”

The forum discussed a new “Urban Sustainable Cities Index (USDI)”, which is being developed by Tongji University in partnership with UNDP and Xinhua. The USDI evaluates cities according to both their human development and environmental performance and is based on the idea that economic development and environmental sustainability support human flourishing.

Attended by ambassadors from various countries and senior officials from nine Chinese cities including Changchun, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Tianjin, Xian and Yueyang, the forum included lively debate and keen analysis of the current issues surrounding urbanisation as well as discussions on how best to promote sustainability through the lens of human development.

First proposed by China at the 2010 World Expo, World Cities Day was accepted by the UN General Assembly at the end of 2013 and will fall on the 31st of October every year. It is expected to promote continued international efforts towards sustainable urbanisation worldwide.