It would comply with paragraph 247 of the Rio Declaration, which underlines that goals should « adress and be focused on priority areas for the achievement of sustainable development » and « global in nature, and universally applicable to all countries » Said Ronan Dantec representing UCLG and the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments at the 7th Session of the Open Working Group.
Participants at ‘Sustainable Cities Days' have called for a stand-alone goal on sustainable urbanization that is transformative, progressively measurable and builds on past successes. The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the Group of Friends for Sustainable Cities co-chaired by the Permanent Missions of Singapore and Sweden to the UN, and the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments for the Post-2015 Agenda towards Habitat III co-organized the days, which took place from 11-13 December 2013, in New York, US.
The UN Secretary General received from UCLG Co-President Moustache Belle, 157 forms from Mayors, Governors and their Associations and civil society partners calling for an Urban SDG to be included in the new Development agenda during a special Session on 12 December.
Secretary-General and Participants of UN-Habitat’s “Sustainable Cities Days”.Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre) poses for a group photo with ministers and mayors attending the “Sustainable Cities Days” organized organized by the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and the Friends of the Sustainable Cities and the Global Taskforce. To the left of Mr. Ban is Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN-Habitat. Photo # 574480
The UCLG Secretary General addressed the Opening of the Iberoamerican Inter-Ministerial Consultation on Sustainable Cities at UN New York, Co-organised by the Spanish Government and UN Habitat with the collaboration of UCLG, FLACMA and Mercociudades.
The Ambassador of Spain, Román Oyarzun, recognised the role to be played by sustainable cities in the eradication of poverty and the leading role that cities played in innovation and creativity.