[2021-22] International Mayors Forum
Documents
CONCEPT NOTE & AGENDA (as of 25 January 2022)
Recordings
Day 1: Recording
Day 2: Recording
Day 3: Recording
Day 4: Recording
Background
UNOSD is convening mayors and local leaders and stakeholders to take part in this 2021-22 edition of the International Mayors Forum to discuss strategies and measures to enhance local governments’ knowledge and skills around a series of essential topics to build back better and greener from the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, while also accelerating progress for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
Objectives
The general objective of the International Mayors Forum is to provide a platform for policy dialogue and knowledge sharing through presentations and discussions on key aspects related to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals —particularly Goal 11—, and other international frameworks and agreement such as the Paris Agreement at local level as a means to achieve a better understanding of progress, gaps, challenges, lessons learnt and specific mechanisms that can accelerate the sustained transformation needed to make societies inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
More specifically and given the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021-22 International Mayors Forum aims to examine the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the current crisis on cities and local governments and identify potential solutions for sustainable responses. It also aims to provide local governments and local actors with useful knowledge and information to support a swift and sustainable recovery from COVID-19 crisis and to contribute to Our Common Agenda, which is, as the UN Secretary General insists, “an agenda for action designed to accelerate the implementation of existing (international) agreements, including the Sustainable Development Goals”.
Format, Date and Time
2021-22 International Mayors Forum will take place through a series of two-and-a-half (2.5) hour online sessions over four (4) days between 24 and 27 January 2022 from 8:00PM to 10:30PM (KST) and 6:00AM to 8:30AM (EST).
Programme and Agenda
Day 1 (24 January 2022)
Introduction: Mr. Jean D'Aragon, Senior Sustainable Development Expert, UNOSD
Welcome Remarks:
- Mr. Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (video)
- H.E. Ms. Han Jeoung Ae, Minister of Environment, Republic of Korea (video)
- Hon. Mr. Nam Choon Park, Mayor, Incheon Metropolitan City (video)
Opening Remarks:
- Mr. Chun Kyoo Park, Head of Office, UNOSD
- Mr. Kazushige Endo, Director, UN Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), Nagoya, Japan
- Whole-of-Government Approach and Effective Institutions for SDGs Localization - Opening Statement
- Mr. Bokyun Shim, Head of UN Project Office on Governance, DPIDG/UN DESA
- Governance as an SDG accelerator at national and subnational levels
- Lichia Saner-Yiu, Professor Organisation Development & Institutional Learning, President of the Centre for Socio-Eco-Nomic Development (CSEND)
- Capacity building programme for implementation of smart cities for inclusive and sustainable society in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era
- Mr. Kazushige Endo, Director, United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD)
- Local and Regional implementation of SDGs: An introduction to Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs)
- Mr. Amson Sibanda, Chief of National Strategies and Capacity Building Branch, Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York, USA
- Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) and Regional Specificities: Linking Africa’s Agenda 2063 with the 2030 Agenda
- Ms. Edlam Abera Yemeru, Director, a.i., Gender, Poverty and Social Policy Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
- Ms. Lusungu Kayani-Stearns, Urban Specialist, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
- Country/City Experience: Voluntary Local Review 2021 Yokohama, Japan
- Hon. Mr. Takeharu Yamanaka (Ph.D.), Mayor, City of Yokohama (5-min. video)
- Mr. Ken Akaoka, Director General for the Global Network of the City of Yokohama New York Office
Day 2 (25 January 2022)
Introduction: Mr. Jean D'Aragon, Senior Sustainable Development Expert, UNOSD
- Urban Resilience: The need for an Integrated Approach - Opening Statement
- Mr. Shu Zhu, Regional Director and China Representative, ICLEI East Asia Secretariat
- Green Growth as a Driver for an Environmentally Sustainable and socially Inclusive Recovery at National and Subnational Levels
- Mr. Stelios Grafakos, Principal Researcher/ Economist in GGGI’s Office of Thought Leadership
- Green Recovery and the City
- Mr. Rogier van den Berg, Acting Global Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, World Resources Institute (WRI)
- Country/city experience: Climate Actions of Suwon City
- Mr. Yeom Tae-young, Mayor of Suwon City, Republic of Korea (video)
- Sustainable Mobility: New Policy Approaches
- Ms. Nancy Vandycke, Economic Advisor of the Transport Global Practice at the World Bank Group; Founder and Manager, Sustainable Mobility for All (SuM4All) Initiative, World Bank (video)
- Country/region/city experience: Metropolitan Transport Planning
- Hon. Mr, Jonathan Coté, Mayor of New Westminster, Chair of the TransLink Mayors Council, Metro Vancouver, Director, and Chair of Metro Vancouver’s Regional Planning Committee, British Columbia, Canada
- Circular Economy as a Means for Accelerating COVID-19 Recovery, and the SDGs and the Paris Agreement Implementation at City Level
- Ms. Sarah O’Carroll, Cities Lead, The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom
- Global/Region/Country/City Experiences: Urban Reforestation, Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Restoration
- Mr. John-Rob Pool, Implementation Manager, Cities4Forests, Natural Infrastructure Initiative, World Resource Institute (WRI)
Day 3 (26 January 2022)
Introduction: Mr. Jean D'Aragon, Senior Sustainable Development Expert, UNOSD
- Integrated Planning for Sustainable Urban Development - Opening Statement
- Mr. Curt Garrigan, Chief, Sustainable Urban Development Section on behalf of Mr. Kaveh Zahedi, Officer-in-Charge, Environment and Development Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP)
- Country/City Experience: Planning for a greener and more resilient Bangkok
- Mr. Sopon Pisuttiwong, Deputy Governor, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), Thailand (video)
- Water-related Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change
- Mr. Kazushige Endo, Director, UN Centre for Regional Development, Nagoya, Japan
- Urban Climate Policies and Practices in Latin America and Korea
- Ms. Hyejung Kim, Urban climate change expert. Managing director at SusIF
- Region/Country/City Experience: Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction in cities of Asia Pacific
- Mr. Sanjaya Bhatia, Head, UNDRR Office for Northeast Asia (ONEA) and Global Education and Training Institute (GETI)
- Green Fiscal Policies for Low-Carbon Recovery – Challenges, Solutions and Impact at Local Level
- Ms. Jacqueline Cottrell, Green fiscal policy expert/consultant, Freelance Associate, Green Budget Germany
- Region/Country/City Experience: Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform and Green Recovery in Asia-Pacific Cities
- Mr. Michael Williamson, Chief of Sustainable Energy Development Section, Energy Division, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP)
- Region/Country/City Experience: A Pilot Project addressing Decarbonization and Social Justice in Informal Settlement Upgrading in Buenos Aires
- Ms. Jorgelina Hardoy, President, Instituto Internacional de Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo – America Latina (IIED – AL), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Day 4 (27 January 2022)
Introduction: Mr. Jean D'Aragon, Senior Sustainable Development Expert, UNOSD
- The 2030 Agenda Partnership Accelerator - Opening Statement
- Ms. Lotta Tahtinen, Chief of Outreach and Partnership Branch, Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG), UN DESA
- Financing for Development – Mobilizing Financial Resources for Public Services and Achieving Inclusive, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable Urban Development
- Ms. Caroline Lombardo, Chief, International Tax and Development Cooperation Branch, Financing for Sustainable Development Office, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (video)
- Impact Investment in Cities- Innovations to Finance SDGs Implementation at Local Level
- Mr. Raymond Saner, Professor, Organisation and International Management, Basle University
- Region/Country/City experience: Local Governments Alternative Financing for COVID-19 Response and Recovery and Accelerate SDGs Delivery
- Ms. Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi, Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments Asia Pacific (UCLG ASPAC)
- Enhancing infrastructure asset management at national and local government levels for Improved service delivery and sustainable Development
- Mr. Daniel Platz, Senior Economic Affairs Officer, Financing for Development Office, UN-DESA
Closing Remarks:
- Mr. Jean D'Aragon, Senior Sustainable Development Expert, UNOSD
Farewell Remarks:
- Mr. Chun Kyoo Park, Head of Office, UNOSD
- Mr. Kazushige Endo, Director, UN Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), Nagoya, Japan
Organizers
2021-22 International Mayors Forum is organized by the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) in collaboration with the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD).
Target Audience
This Forum aims to engage mayors, sub-national government officials and representatives, and national institutions concerned with SDG implementation at local level in developed and developing countries. The Forum will also be open to non-government experts working in the areas of SDG implementation at the national and local levels. It will also welcome academia, youth, and other interested stakeholders to ensure an inclusive and integrated discussion on accelerated local solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.
Contact Information
For any questions or comments please contact Mr. Jean D’Aragon, Senior Sustainable Development Expert, UNOSD at daragon@un.org; and Ms. Nana Urakami, UNCRD at nurakami@uncrd.or.jp.
For any technical issues, for instance, difficulties to register to the different sessions, please contact Mr. JinHyun Lee, Team Assistant, UNOSD at jinhyun.lee@un.org.
Disclaimer:
For the purpose of this event, UNOSD procures the services of Cisco Webex, an external service provider. Registration for this webinar is supported by the Webex Events registration mechanism and does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its authorities.