Making the United Nations Relevant to all PeoplePRESS BRIEFING BY MONICA GRAYLEY, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT MARÍA FERNANDA ESPINOSA
GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILL FOCUS ON THE ROLE OF CITIES IN THE GLOBAL AGENDA
The General Assembly is hosting a high-level event this afternoon to find sustainable solutions for challenges faced by cities in the 21st century. The meeting on “The Role of Cities in the Global Agenda, including Cities for Sustainable Development, Food Security, Nutrition and Climate Change” is co-organised by the GA, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and UN-Habitat.
President María Fernanda Espinosa, in conjunction with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, H.E. José Graziano da Silva and United Nations Human Settlements Programme, will chair the event which is being attended by Mayors and other city representatives.
The PGA and Mr. da Silva will speak at the opening ceremony. The Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, will deliver her remarks through a video message.
At present, 55 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas and this proportion is expected to rise to 70 percent by 2050. This rise coincides with a period during which many countries are implementing policy decentralization processes that are resulting in increased and wider responsibilities for sub-national governments. In this context, cities are being called upon to take a more active role in contributing to national governments’ initiatives in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Most of the challenges faced by cities at the local level, including climate change and food security, are global in nature and call for multilateral solutions.
The objective of the meeting is to approach the development agenda from global issues to local priorities. The event is scheduled from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Trusteeship Council Chamber.
Participants include:
- H.E. María Fernanda Espinosa, President of the UN General Assembly
- Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, H.E. José Graziano da Silva
- H.E. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat through video conference)
- Mr. Mauricio Esteban Rodas Espinel, Mayor of Quito, Ecuador
- Ms. Penny Abeywardena, Commission for International Affairs, New York City, USA
- Ms. Emilia Saiz, Secretary-General of the United Cities and Local Governments
- Mr. Joan Ribo, Mayor of Valencia, Spain
- Ms. Tri Rismaharini, Mayor of Surabaya, Indonesia
- Mr. Óscar Humberto Evora Santos, President of the Municipal Chamber of Praia, Cabo Verde
More details on our website: www.un.org/pga/73
PGA’S AGENDA AND OTHER ISSUES
Ms. Espinosa met earlier today with the Ambassador of Mauritius, H.E Jagdish Dharamchand Koonjul. The PGA will then attend her monthly coordination meeting with the Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres. This afternoon at 3 p.m, Ms. Espinosa will take part in the high-level event with city mayors, which is being co-hosted by FAO and UN-Habitat.
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