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UN chief calls for transforming cities to solve urban problems

Xinhua, November 1, 2016 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called on the international community to invest in city transformation to confront urban problems through lasting solutions.

Marking the World Cities Day which falls on Monday, Ban said in a message that cities are increasingly the home of humanity and are central to climate action, global prosperity, peace and human rights.

UN statistics show that more than half of all people live in cities and human settlements, and that proportion is projected to grow to two thirds by 2050.

In this regard, Ban called on countries to put sustainable urbanization at the center of the efforts to eliminate poverty and forge new thinking on how to plan, manage and live in cities.

In 2013, the UN General Assembly designated Oct. 31 as World Cities Day, recognizing the significance of urban basic services as a foundation for the overall social and economic development.

This year, the United Nations has selected the theme Inclusive Cities, Shared Development to highlight the important role of urbanization as a source of global development and social inclusion.

The idea of World Cities Day was proposed by the Shanghai Declaration issued at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, to advocate the idea of better city, better life. Enditem