Dr. Joan Clos:Third United Nations Conference Housing and Sustainable Urban Development

Excellences and distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

As you all are aware, the Habitat III Conference is the first global summit after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has recognized urbanization as an endogenous source for development with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goal 11 on sustainable cities and human settlements.

The Paris Agreement calls us for action to combat climate change and adapt to its effects from the urban perspective and as 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions are related to urbanization.

You know how relevant is urbanization in relation to climate change.

This is a timely moment for the New Urban Agenda and its commitments for the implementation of a more sustainable planet for the immediate urban future.

Habitat III is a critical milestone in shaping the vision for the future urbanization and it has the convening power to bring together all actors to achieve these objectives.

Now is the time for a transformational urbanization, as a centrepiece of development policy at both, international, national and local level.

We need to approach urbanisation not as a cost, but as an investment, because the cost of urbanisation is minimum in comparison to the value that it can generate.

In urbanization, public investments have the capacity of generating private value.

Excellences, distinguished delegates,

The New Urban Agenda has been adopted by member states during this conference in Quito, and the journey to the sustainable urban future has just begun.

The New Urban Agenda is an ambitious agenda which aims at paving the way towards making cities and human settlements more inclusive and ensuring that everyone can benefit from urbanization, paying particular attention to those in vulnerable situations.

We need to ensure that everybody is on board and committed to be continuously searching and implementing innovative and efficient planning supported by strong policy frameworks and reliable financing systems.

I encourage national, sub-national and local governments to use the New Urban Agenda as a key instrument for achieving development, prosperity and employments.

The New Urban Agenda calls for a new and reinforced cooperation between central and local governments.

The role of central governments in the quality of urbanization is very relevant.

Central governments do have a lot to do with urbanization. They establish the rules of the game, especially urban legislation and municipal finances.

Furthermore, the central government establishes many of the policies that determine the quality of life in modern states: health, education, security and redistribution mechanisms.

Local authorities are of course key in improving urbanization. Local authorities are responsible in many occasions of urbanism, managing and controlling the urban fabric and local basic services.

Neither the central government nor the local authorities can address alone the challenges of urbanization. One of the innovations of this conference is the reinforced dialogue between central and local governments.

I would like to invite local authorities to adopt in their parliaments the New Urban Agenda.

Excellences, ladies and gentlemen,

This moment requires a return to the basics of urbanization based on the Three Fundamentals:

First and foremost, urbanization should be based on the rule of law. Good urbanisation is based in good urban legislation and its implementation. Good urban legislation generates urban value.

The second fundamental is good urban planning and design. The capacity of urbanization to generate prosperity is closely linked to the physical design. Good urban planning and design also generate value.

The third fundamental is a sound financial plan. A city without a financial plan is condemned to failure. A good financial plan guarantees a virtuous circle of prosperity.

Urbanization is one of the few social and economic phenomena in which public investment generates private value.

Excellences, distinguished delegates,

Now that we have the New Urban Agenda, it is time for action. We are all called for action to make the New Urban Agenda a reality.

Let me say a few things in my capacity as Executive-Director of UN-Habitat.

We are celebrating today forty years of promoting sustainable urban development throughout the world with you.

We have done so much together.

We now stand ready to do even more.

With the adoption of the New Urban Agenda, we will support member states, local governments and other partners as a focal point for sustainable urban development and human settlements within the UN-System.

We are already well advanced in discussing with our sister agencies, on how we can coordinate a more effective UN response to the challenges of urbanization.

We have already developed specialized products designed to meet the needs of national and local governments.

Although the New Urban Agenda is only adopted today, we have already accumulated many years of experience, with you, in implementing the most important aspects of what we have agreed today.

We hope, at this crucial point, for your support in strengthening the work and the capacity of the programme.

We look forward to working with you all over the next year in developing a more responsive, effective and accountable UN-Habitat.

Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Together with other stakeholder representatives, I am pleased to say that we had a total of over 45.000 registered and 35.000 accredited, people from 167 different countries participating in the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, held this week in Quito. We have mobilized 100.000 people on all the process. This was never seen in any other UN conference.

This represents an extremely high level of dedication and is indicative of the strong interest from a wide range of partners towards the New Urban Agenda.

I would like to thank all the contributions of member states, foundations, philanthropy and other stakeholders that have contributed financially to the conference through the Habitat III Trust Fund, and of course, the Government of Ecuador, the first and foremost donor.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep this momentum as we engage and collaborate and start implementing the New Urban Agenda.

Excellences, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

I am extremely proud and hopeful by the outcome of this process and I believe that we can all share these feelings, as we have taken together the unanimous decision adopting the New Urban Agenda at this Habitat III Conference.

Allow me to express my gratitude and warmest thanks to the Department of Conference Services and Habitat III Secretariat team, including all staff members, consultants and interns for their countless hours and tireless efforts in supporting the Habitat III process and making it a success.

And let us not forget the hundreds of volunteers who supported us here in Quito, with their good manners and permanent smile.