2023 Global Mayors Forum

A recording of these remarks can be found on Tencent.

Your excellency, Mr. Bater, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference,

President Mr. Yang Wanming, Vice Governor Zhang Xin, Acting Mayor Mr. Sun Zhiyang,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Mayors from around the world, 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am grateful to the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the People’s Government of Guangzhou Municipality for the invitation to join the Global Mayor’s Forum. 

Guangzhou was my first port of call in China. I arrived here in January 2021, before I took up my position as UN Resident Coordinator in China. Guangzhou is a microcosm of China’s phenomenal success in its development trajectory.

Since then, I have visited Guangzhou on numerous occasions. This city impresses me with its link between China and the world, its history as an ancient city and a place of innovation, creativity and inclusivity. 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Cities are engines of economic growth and innovation that hold the key to achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

Urbanization is an agenda of global importance. The urban population constitutes 56.9% of the world’s population. According to UN-Habitat’s World Cities Report 2022, urbanization will remain a strong trend this century, with the global urban population expected to increase by 2.2 billion people in 2050. 

China’s rate of urbanization is predicted to increase to 70% by the end of 2030. This is a sharp increase from 18% in 1978, at the beginning of reform and opening-up. China’s urbanization, a significant contributing factor to its economy, is now transitioning from rapid growth towards an approach that focuses on high-quality development. 

I have also spent much of my career in Africa, where I witnessed rapid urbanization. Urbanization, when properly planned and managed, can reduce poverty and inequality by providing employment opportunities and access to public services and infrastructure. 

However, the global trend of increasing urban populations exerts significant pressure on infrastructure, services, and overall quality of life. Building cities capable of sustainable growth is not just an opportunity, but our shared responsibility.

The 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda are two globally agreed-upon agendas that guide the achievement of sustainable urbanization. The 2030 Agenda has a set of 17 SDGs, within which two-thirds of its 234 indicators have urban components. SDG 11 is focused on addressing urban development and making sure cities ensure access to safe and affordable housing, public transportation, and green spaces. The New Urban Agenda also identifies the means through which sustainable urban development can be achieved. More recently, cities have started to report on their SDG progress through the preparation of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLR).

The second UN-Habitat Assembly, which took place in June 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, focused on implementing these two global agendas. 

From this Assembly, urban innovation emerged as a pathway to building sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cities.

The future challenge for cities will be to build economic, social and environmental resilience and have the ability to prepare for future shocks. Resilient cities promote sustainable development, well-being and inclusive growth. 

In addressing the challenges posed by typhoons Saola and Haikui this year, Guangzhou demonstrated this concept of urban resilience. Here, a key highlight of Guangzhou’s approach was the enhanced engagement of its community, progressively fostering a comprehensive public disaster prevention and reduction framework.

Smart cities, through their use of digital technology, innovation, and data, can also serve as an approach to enhancing urbanization, responding to the needs of their citizens, addressing inequalities and digital divides, and ensuringthat no one is left behind. When thoughtfully considered, smart cities pave the way for enhanced quality of life, offering greater access to essential services and infrastructure, while optimizing the use of resources. This approach to urban development is needed in our journey to achieve sustainable development.

The UN in China collaborates with both national and local counterparts, offering support to China’s efforts on urban innovation. 

In September this year, a collaboration unfolded between UNDP, the Chengdu High-Tech Industrial Development Zone (CDHT), and the China International Center for Economic and Technological Exchanges. Together, they hosted the Re: Think 2023 Sustainable Development Innovation Week to present CDHT’s achievements and insights into sustainable development and champion the principles of the SDGs.

UN-Habitat has been collaborating with local governments, including Guangzhou, to provide technical expertise on aligning their efforts with the 2030 Agenda. For example, the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation was selected for UN-Habitat’s Urban Best Practices Database. Since 2019, Guangzhou has also published VLR reports, which include its measures to achieve the SDGs. 

The UN in China remains committed to supporting urban innovation. This commitment includes promoting environmental sustainability, bolstering social inclusivity, and stimulating economic growth through solutions tailored to China’s context.

We value your local expertise and knowledge and stand ready to offer our global networks and partnerships. As leaders and representatives of local governments, we count on you, mayors from around the world, to join us to encourage sustainable urban development and embed the SDGs into local urban frameworks. 

I wish today’s forum every success. Thank you.