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15 December 2011Ford Foundation on Sustainable and Just Cities
For the first time in history, over half of the world’s population lives in cities. By 2050, the world’s population is projected to increase from 7 billion to more than 9 billion people, roughly 70 percent of whom will reside in urban regions.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg greets UN Under-Secretary-General Sha Zukang, with Luis Ubiñas and Marjorie Tiven, commissioner of the New York City Commission for the United Nations, Consular Corps and Protocol.
At the United Nations official “side event” held on Dec. 15 for the second intersessional meeting of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, leaders argue that “sustainable urbanization” is critical to sustainable development and a healthy planet. Their goal, as a lead up to the Rio+20 Conference in June 2012, is to ensure that with such rapid urbanization comes a commitment to poverty reduction and environmental protection, that an array of innovative measures in affordable housing, urban planning, transportation, citizen engagement be a top priority on the agenda of this summer’s conference and future UN initiatives.
The Ford Foundation, New York City Mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg, the side event’s keynote speaker, and the Natural Resources Defense Council call on UN Delegates to fight for sustainable and just cities.
Panelists Luis Ubiñas; Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council; and Cecilia Martínez, director of the New York Office of UN-HABITAT.
Mayor Bloomberg, who is also chair of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, discusses how innovations in urban policies, planning and leadership are key to advancing global sustainable development. His remarks are followed by a conversation among key leaders including Luis A. Ubiñas, president of the Ford Foundation; Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council; and Cecilia Martínez, director of the New York Office of UN-HABITAT.
Both the Ford Foundation and NRDC are part of the Sustainable Cities Working Group, a set of leading civil society organizations and experts that submitted to the UN a comprehensive set of recommendations to ensure that sustainable urbanization is a priority at the Rio+20 Conference.
The summer 2012 gathering of presidents, prime ministers, mayors, and other leaders will mark the 20th anniversary of the first “Earth Summit” held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Some 300 to 500 delegates are expected to attend.
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