Implementing the New Urban Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean

The event will provide a space for the exchange of concrete advances and specific projects in LAC that support the implementation and monitoring of the NUA and the SDGs, presenting key examples of actions led by governments at the national and local levels, as well as initiatives implemented by non-governmental stakeholders. The event also seeks to strengthen existing partnerships, encourage new alliances and identify the potential for joint initiatives towards the successful implementation and monitoring of these agendas in the region.

Cities and countries across LAC face the challenge of localizing the NUA and the 2030 Agenda and transforming objectives into concrete actions. Today, more than ever, the region needs roadmaps, strategies and tools to guide urban development towards sustainable, safe, resilient and inclusive human settlements and cities for all.

In the lead up to Habitat III, ECLAC, UN-Habitat and MINURVI reaffirmed their strategic partnership to support the implementation and monitoring of the NUA and the urban dimension of the SDGs in LAC. Together, these actors have coordinated the preparation of a Regional Action Plan (RAP) to provide a strategic framework and reference for the region's cities and human settlements and a tool for promoting the national and subnational implementation of the NUA and the SDGs in LAC. Recognizing the unique context and challenges faced by the Caribbean, the development of a Caribbean Subregional Action Plan will prioritize key areas and alternatives for intervention within the subregion. Finally, a LAC Urban and Cities Platform for the follow-up and monitoring of these agendas in the region is in its preliminary stages of development.

The event will open with a presentation of these key regional initiatives by ECLAC, UN Habitat and MINURVI, building regional and international awareness of these tools and providing examples of the potential for their application at the local and national levels, as well as their potential adaptation to other regional contexts. The second panel will invite representatives of La Paz and Quito to present case studies on relevant local initiatives; a representative from Cuba to present national level initiatives for mainstreaming global agendas within national policy, plans and programs; and a representative from the Centre for the Implementation of Public Policies Promoting Equity and Growth (CIPPEC) to provide insight into ways the organization supports NUA implementation in Argentina through its review of national policies. The event will conclude with a question and answer session to allow participants to exchange and discuss experiences and best practices.

The event seeks to create a space in which positive experiences, lessons learned and best practices can be shared among stakeholders, supporting the potential for replication and scaling-up of these techniques in other cities and countries. By involving stakeholders from multiple actor groups (local and national government, NGOs, international organizations), the event will provide a forum to demonstrate how the objectives of global urban agendas may be supported by different actors at various levels and using different strategies, and opportunities for promoting broad participation in implementation processes.