Baku — Angola defended on Sunday, in Baku, Azerbaijan, the need for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to accelerate the implementation of the new urban agenda by 2036, as a way to prevent Africa from becoming a space of climate vulnerability and social exclusion.
According to the Minister of Public Works, Urban Planning and Housing, Carlos Alberto dos Santos, who was speaking at the ministerial meeting that marked the beginning of the 13th World Urban Forum, taking place until the 22nd, this acceleration is necessary so that the next decade is decisive and allows the cradle continent to be the engine of sustainable development, innovation and prosperity.
Carlos Alberto dos Santos justified that experience shows that there will be no resilient cities without strong urban infrastructures, without adequate funding and without an integrated vision between urbanization, environment, housing and mobility.
At the meeting, which was attended by 54 government representatives, the minister also reiterated the need for greater international solidarity, transfer of technical knowledge and mobilization of financial resources to support developing countries in sustainable urban transformation.
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He stressed that when urbanization is properly planned it can be a powerful lever for economic growth, social inclusion and climate adaptation.
On the other hand, it reaffirmed Angola's commitment to multilateralism within UN-Habitat and to all international partners in promoting more humane, resilient, and sustainable cities.
It stressed that the sustainable future of Angola and Africa in general will depend, to a large extent, on how current cities are planned and managed today.
According to the program, the Women's Assembly and the Meeting of World and Regional Governments are also scheduled for today, among other activities.
The 13th World Urban Forum (WFU), which is taking place under the theme "Housing for the world: safe and resilient cities and communities," welcomes more than 20,000 participants from 180 countries.
Angola is represented by a delegation headed by Minister Carlos Alberto dos Santos, thus becoming a regular participant in the event, which premiered in 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The country has been present at several editions, most notably the 12th edition in Cairo, Egypt, which focused on sustainable urbanization and the role of African cities in the future. JAD/CS/DOJ
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