PLATFORMA declaration on the Habitat III process and the new Urban Agenda

KEY MESSAGES:

In view of the new Urban Agenda to be adopted at the Habitat III Conference in Quito, members of PLATFORMA ask in a common declaration to:

• give Local and Regional Governments a place at the negotiation table and include representatives in national delegations to the Conference
• encourage further empowerment, autonomy and financial sustainability of local and regional governments
• coordinate the New Urban Agenda with other recent international agreements and localise  its implementation
• respond to the specific concerns of cities of all sizes and functional areas
• encourage effective working partnerships between central and local governments in each country towards the definition and implementation of integrated national urban policies
• support the cooperation with local stakeholders and the establishment of horizontal partnerships
• promote inclusive, green, innovative towns, cities and regions for all
• recognise international cooperation and exchange of good practices among cities and regions as an important instrument for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda
• design a strong action agenda and develop a monitoring mechanism in cooperation with Local and Regional Governments

This joint Declaration, which complements the Global Task Force (GTF) of Local and Regional Governments’ recommendations, comes before the conclusions of the European Council on Habitat III to be issued on the second week of May.