Convergences committed for the 3rd United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development “Habitat III”, held in Quito on 17-20 October 2016. Organised every two decades, this conference aims to set up concrete actions to implement a New Urban Agenda for the next 20 years. Through its participation in 3 side-events, Convergences valued inspiring contributions for more inclusive and sustainable cities.
Cities only cover 2% of the surface of the earth but host about half of the world population, use 75% of the energy and reject 80% of CO2 emissions. Therefore, they are a central part in the search for sustainable solutions and in lifestyles evolutions.
After the Paris Conference in 2015 (COP 21), the 3rd United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development “Habitat III” and with the coming COP22, year 2016 is a crucial year for a low carbon development of cities and territories. Following the 9th Convergences World Forum “Inventing tomorrow’s sustainable cities and territories”, Convergences values innovative projects discovered at the Forum and presents 100 solutions for a 3Zero World – Zero exclusion, Zero Carbon, Zero Poverty – during the Habitat III conference.
The United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development has wrapped up in Quito, Ecuador, with delegations adopting the New Urban Agenda – a new framework that that lays out how cities should be planned and managed to best promote sustainable urbanization.
“We have analysed and discussed the challenges that our cities are facing and have [agreed] on a common roadmap for the 20 years to come,” Joan Clos, Secretary-General of the conference and Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), told participants at the closing session.
Habitat III brought together mayors, local and regional authorities, civil society and community groups, the private sector and urban planners. In the sidelines of the formal discussions, dozens of side and parallel events brought partners together to debate the more intricate areas of urbanization, such as the right of women and youth to the city, the importance of public space and how to finance the New Urban Agenda.
By adopting the New Urban Agenda, Member States commit to act to improve all aspect of urban life for the next 20 years. However, the Agenda is not binding and does not set specific targets. It establishes norms for the transformation of urban areas into safer, more sustainable and more resilient places. Implementation remains a key issue : from a common agenda States must create concrete cooperation and common tools.
1/ Debate-Cocktail “Muti-actor collaboration”
Tuesday 18 October, from 12pm to 1:30pm, Pavillon France
Intervention of Bertrand Gallet, Board Member of Convergences and General Director of Cités Unies France, during a debate-cocktail organised by Comité 21 about innovative initiatives for a sustainable urban development.
2/ Conference “3Zero ideas for sustainable cities”
Wednesday 19 October, from 3pm to 4pm, Pavillon France
Convergences organised an interactive conference to promote innovative solutions for sustainable cities and territories and pass on the message that transition will require the involvement of all stakeholders.
- Speakers: Klio Krajewska, 7 billion urbanists and Cédric Dorgère, Urban Fabric Organisation, UFO
- Moderator: Lucas Pupulin, Executive Director, IMPACT Initiatives
3/ Conference on coastal cities’ resilience facing water-related challenges
Thursday 20 October, from 1pm to 2pm, Pavillon France
Convergences co-organised this conference with Club France Développement durable, Comité 21, CGLU Afrique, Cités Unies France, Green Cross France and Territoires, Métamorphose Outre-Mers, Partenariat Français pour l’Eau.
Two projects which were respectively awarded our Lab Laboo Innovator Award in 2015 and nominated for the 2016 Convergences Awards were also put under the spotlight during Habitat III. The Smart Favela and the DORéMi project have both been referenced among the French solutions for more sustainable cities by the French Alliance for Cities and Territorial Development (PFVT) in its Habitat III publication “Mieux vivre en ville – Expériences françaises”.