Midterm Review of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) - General Assembly, __ Plenary meeting, 80th session

The 102nd Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly is called to order. If everybody could take their seat, we have a very long speaking list and I would like to ensure that everybody, especially as we have many ministers and representatives from capitals, are able to speak before 1:00 PM, I declare open the high-level meeting of the Assembly on the midterm review of the New Urban Agenda. This meeting is held in accordance with Resolution 79/214 of December 19th, 2024, and takes place under agenda item 178 entitled Follow-up to the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat. The documentation under this item is listed in the Journal of the United Nations. I will now make a statement as the President of the General Assembly. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, yet only because and and only when they are created by everybody. That is the vision that lies at the heart of the New Urban Agenda, and one well captured by author Jane Jacobs, a vision that cities can and must work for everyone. Today, 10 years after the adoption of the New Urban Agenda in Quito, cities are home to 58% of humanity, a figure projected to rise to 70% by 2050. So our future will be shaped mainly in cities. And the good news is, if managed well, this urban shift can be a source of enormous opportunity, bringing people together, closer to jobs, services, innovation, and one another. If done right, urbanization can be an accelerator of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development discussed at the beginning of this week at the High-Level Political Forum. During that forum, we heard from many mayors and representatives of cities, actually of every size, from global megacities to small towns, recognizing that local governments are already delivering on the SDGs, on all 17. They are expanding, for example, renewable energy in line with SDG 7, providing clean water and sanitation under SDG 6, building more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient communities under SDG 11, and translating global commitments into tangible improvements in people's daily lives. But the opposite is also true. Without the right policies and leadership on the ground, this urbanization can have the opposite effect, deepening inequality, straining infrastructure, and leaving millions behind. As progress has not kept pace with the pressures we face in all parts of the world and in all cities, 3 billion people still lack access to safe, adequate, and affordable housing. Over 330 million are even homeless. And over 1 billion people live in informal settlements or slums. Add to this conflict, instability, rising inequality, and the climate crisis, and the resilience of our cities is being tested as never before. The New Urban Agenda recognizes our shared responsibility to ensure that an increasingly urbanized world works for everyone. As the Secretary-General's report makes clear, that vision remains as relevant as ever, but we have yet to match it with the investment and implementation it requires. Today's midterm review and the political declaration before us is an opportunity to change exactly that, to close financing gaps, to strengthen local governments, to build capacity, to invest in resilience, and to connect the dots across our very clearly connected frameworks, from the SDGs to the civil commitment, recognizing that none can succeed in isolation. That the SDGs can never be truly realized if people remain without housing and homeless, if shelter remains temporary, or if inequality continues to divide us between slums and skyscrapers. Most of all, it is an opportunity to bring governments, cities, communities, civil society, and the private sector together, working better together. On this point, allow me to thank the city officials joining us today, to commend the membership, you, for your continued support to this process, and to express my sincere appreciation to the co-facilitators of the Political Declaration, Her Excellency Ms. Agnes Chimbiri Mulande, Permanent Representative of Malawi, and His Excellency Mr. Krzysztof Dusierski, Permanent Representative of Poland. At a time when building consensus is increasingly difficult, the Political Declaration before us reflects the shared commitment to fully implementing the New Urban Agenda in the interest of all of us, because every country has cities. As I said at the beginning of this week, if this crazy World Cup still going on has taught us anything, it is this: never give up at minute 80. Even yesterday, yeah, how many games that looked lost were turned around in the 90th minute. It's always like on a football pitch. One goal at the right moment can change everything. And 17 goals at the same moment can change the city. They can change the world we all live in. So, Your Excellencies, dear colleagues, no excuses anymore. We don't hide behind a consensus which could not be found. We know that there is little time left until 2030. But we also know that we do not stop our efforts before the last minute is played. Nor claim that there are no signs of success. Because that is simply not true. We see the successes. In cities, you have built the successes every day. The only thing we are lacking is the will to scale up that work together. And this is exactly why we are here today. This is exactly what we are doing. There are thousands of successful projects out there. I just saw one of them myself again during a visit to Nairobi. In the town to In Corogotxo, young people are turning waste into jobs and cleaner streets with support from UN-Habitat and UNESCO and other bilateral support. What started as a group of young people picking up trash turned into a way to make money and make the community cleaner, build their city together. Now imagine if this is what the common standard in all of Nairobi, in every city, in all our countries would be. Because, as Jane Jacobs reminded us, cities succeed only when we build them together, with everyone, for everyone. I thank you.

Thank you.

In accordance with Rule 70 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, I now give the floor to the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Her Excellency Amina Mohammed. to deliver remarks on behalf of the Secretary-General.

Thank you. Her Excellency Annalena Baerbock, the President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I'm delighted to join the President of the General Assembly in welcoming you to the midterm review of the urban agenda. I'd also like to congratulate the leadership of the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Ana Claudia Roig-Bach, and her team for the work that they continue to do. Every global challenge eventually arrives at someone's door. Conflict displaces families into cities. Climate shocks overwhelm homes and infrastructure. Rising costs push housing and basic services further out of reach, and inequality becomes visible street by street. This is why the midterm review of the New Urban Agenda reaches far beyond urban policy. It is one of the clearest ways sustainable development shows up in the lives of people on a daily basis, and it does more than look back. It tells us what cities and communities need from us now. 3 things stand out for us. First, the Sustainable Development Goals will be delivered at the local level, or they'll not be delivered at all. More than half of humanity already lives in urban areas, and by the middle of this century, nearly 70% will do so. Cities can drive progress as hubs of innovation, economic activity, and social interaction and dignity. Yet the choices made in cities will determine whether families can find an affordable home, whether children can get to school, whether people can reach work and essential services, and whether communities are ready for the next flood, heatwave, or storm. Last week, during the review of the Sustainable Development Goal 11, member states reaffirmed this point. Sustainable urbanization is one of the clearest routes to faster progress on the 2030 Agenda. Second, urban growth is moving faster than urban transformation, and we need to catch up. The review shows progress since Quito. Countries have strengthened national urban policies and planning systems, Cities are advancing climate action and improving public services. Local governments and communities are showing what can be done, often under enormous pressure. But progress is not keeping pace with the demand. Housing is becoming less affordable. Informal settlements are expanding. Infrastructure and essential public services are falling behind, and climate risks and inequality are growing. We know the result when housing costs swallow household incomes. Inequality deepens, disproportionately affecting women as well as marginalized and vulnerable groups. When services fail, health and education suffer, severely limiting a young person's potential. When cities are unprepared for climate shocks, the poorest communities pay the highest price. But these challenges can turn into opportunities if we lean into strategic city planning, integrated policy reform, and by strengthening our institutions. Clearer and disaggregated data will also help us to identify the pain points and ensure that we leave no one behind. And third, cities need the power and the resources to deliver. Local and regional authorities are being asked to manage rapid growth, respond to crises, and drive progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Many are still expected to do this without the money or the authority to act, and without the systems needed to carry the work through. Cities need better access to finance. Local authorities and institutions need to be engaged and recognized as the key partners that they are. Data and new technologies, including artificial intelligence, should help authorities to plan and to reach all sectors of the community, improving services without deepening inequality or excluding the people that they are meant to serve. National governments and international partners also need to work with local leaders and not around them. The Pact for the Future reinforces the need for stronger cooperation across all levels of government, across the United Nations system, UN-Habitat, resident coordinators, regional commissions, local and regional governments, and other local partners that are working to connect global commitments to local delivery. This is where multilateralism proves its value. At the World Urban Forum in Baku, I saw the ideas and partnerships that are already driving progress. The Baku Call to Action captured that determination. And as the President of the General Assembly witnessed some of that in Nairobi where we were seeing waste to wealth. Now we need to take the ambition and the energy from Baku and make it contagious. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, many of you will be familiar with the new Mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, who is a powerful advocate for healthier and more sustainable cities that work for everyone. And he has spoken of the day when the city they love will finally love them back. A city that loves back its people when it protects their dignity and gives them a stake in prosperity. The New Urban Agenda gives us a clear horizon to do so. The review shows us where the gaps are, but it also shows us where the opportunities lie. It is time to close that gap, city by city, community by community. I thank you.

I thank the Deputy Secretary-General. Before proceeding further, I would like to consult members on inviting the following speakers to make statements in the opening segment, as mentioned in my letter dated July 10th, 2026. His Excellency Ngaka Kuo Ming, Minister of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia and President of the United Nations Habitat Assembly. His Excellency Chemwemwe Shipungu, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development of Malawi. His Excellency Jan Ciszko, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy of Poland. His Excellency Anar Gulyev, Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan. And Ms. Anna-Claudia Rosbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlement Programme. May I take it that it is a wish of the General Assembly, without setting a precedent, to invite these speakers to make statements in the opening segment of this meeting? It is so decided. I give the floor to His Excellency Ngaka Kuah Ming, Minister of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia, and President of the United Nations Habitat Assembly.

Excellency President of the General Assembly, Madam Annalena Baerbock, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, we stand today At a profound crossroads, 10 years ago in Quito, we forged a collective promise, the New Urban Agenda. Today, as we gathered in New York for this midterm review, we are not merely assessing statistics. We are auditing the living conditions, the dignity, and the future of billions of urban citizens. Allow me to anchor our collective resolve in an old and wise phrase from my homeland, Malaysia: Bulat ai, kerana pembentung; bulat manusia, kerana muafakat. This timeless Bahasa Melayu proverb reminds us that water is shaped by its contour, but humanity is shaped and strengthened by our consensus, our unity, and our shared purpose. Our urban challenges are too vast for isolated actions. We survive and we thrive only if— when we act as one team. Together, everyone achieves more. The path to this midterm review has been rigorous. Member states have navigated complex, multi-level processes alongside UN-Habitat and critical international organizations. Together, we have evaluated our progress across the key pillars of the New Urban Agenda, from driving social inclusion and eradicating urban poverty to pioneering sustainable economic frameworks and climate-resilient spatial development. I must express my deepest gratitude and congratulations to the tireless hands that brought all of us here: the UN-Habitat Secretariat, led by the Executive Director; the President of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly, Excellencies Annalena Baerbock, for her stellar leadership in preparing this high-level meeting; the co-facilitators who also steer the complex political declaration consultations, and crucially, the local and regional governments, civil society networks, and grassroots stakeholders who serve on the front lines of our cities every single day. Ladies and gentlemen, as the President of the UN-Habitat Assembly, Malaysia take this global stewardship with the utmost seriousness. We believe leadership must be practical, inclusive, and scalable to bridge global ideals with regional realities. Malaysia, alongside our international partners, has championed the implementation of the Asia-Pacific Urban Agenda platform. This vital instrument serves as a catalyst across the territory Operationalizing the principles of the New Urban Agenda by localizing Sustainable Development Goals, facilitating cross-border knowledge transfers, and scaling up green infrastructure financing. We have proven that with local— localized frameworks, target-driven mandates, and unyielding political will, transformation is completely within our reach. But however, Excellencies, we have only 4 years left until 2030. A midterm review is meaningless if we merely document our shortfalls. It must be an inflection point. I hereby issue a global call to action. Let us translate the political declaration we negotiate in this Hall into BRICS moral policy, and equity on the ground. We must address the global housing crisis, bridge the urban-digital divide, and de-risk our cities against climate devastation. Let the remainder of this decade be defined not by what we plan, but by what we fully implemented. Distinguished delegates, The soul of a city is found not in the height of its skyscrapers, but in the security, prosperity, and joy of the vulnerable child walking in the streets. As we look forward to the final stretch to 2030, let us reflect on the enduring wisdom of the great Eastern philosopher Confucius, who taught us, The expectations of life depend upon diligence. The mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools. Excellencies, this Midterm Review is our golden opportunity to sharpen our tools. The blueprint is in our hands. The diligence must now be proven in our action. Let us leave this High Level Meeting with more than just a renewed declaration. Let us live with an unshakable covenant to build cities that leave no one and no place behind. Because if not us, who else? If not now, when is it? Let us do it together. Thank you. Terima kasih. Thank you.

I thank the Minister of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia and President of the United Nations Habitat Assembly. I now give the floor to His Excellency Shimwemwe Xiphungu, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development of Malawi.

Thank you, Madam President, Excellencies, and all distinguished guests, Malawi aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. The year 2026 marks 10 years since the adoption of the New Urban Agenda. This midterm review provides an important opportunity to reflect on progress made and renew our commitment to accelerate its implementation. Urbanization presents one of the greatest opportunities for sustainable development when properly planned and managed. In Malawi, although only about 20% of the population lives in urban areas, our cities are growing rapidly. This growth continues to outpace investment in housing, infrastructure, and basic services, with nearly 70% of the urban population living in informal settlements. Recognizing both opportunities and challenges of urbanization, Malawi has placed at its center its national development agenda through the Malawi 2063 agenda and its vision. We are reviewing our national urban policy and national housing policy, developing a national slum upgrading prevention strategy, strengthening the digital and land administration, and investing in 8 secondary cities to provide balanced territorial development and new centers of economic growth. We also enacted the Disaster Risk Management Act in 2023 to strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability of settlements and infrastructure. Madam President, while progress has been made, implementation continues to be constrained by limited financing, climate-related challenges, and growing urban inequalities. Addressing these challenges requires strong cooperation at all levels and renewed political commitment. As a co-facilitator of the political declaration for this midterm review, Malawi believes the next decade must focus on implementation. We therefore call for increased investment in affordable housing, informal settlement upgrading, resilient urban infrastructure, and basic services. We also urge stronger support for local authorities through physical decentralization, capacity building, and innovative financing mechanisms to respond effectively to rapid urbanization. We further emphasize the importance of stronger partnerships among governments, local authorities, the private sector, civil society, and development partners. Along expanded access to climate finance, technology transfer, and technical assistance for developing countries. The New Urban Agenda remains a vital framework for achieving sustainable urbanization and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the SDG 11. Malawi remains fully committed to work with UN-Habitat and all partners to ensure that our cities and human settlements are inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, leaving no one and no place behind. I thank you all for listening.

I thank the Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development of Malawi. I give the floor to His Excellency Jan Sisko, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy of Poland.

Madam President of the General Assembly, Madam Deputy Secretary-General, Madam Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. It is an honor to address you today as a representative of Poland, a country whose Ambassador to the United Nations, His Excellency Krzysztof Szczerski, served as one of the co-facilitators of the Political Declaration on the Midterm Review of the New Urban agenda, which we are to adopt momentarily. I would like to thank Madam President of the General Assembly for entrusting Poland, together with Malawi, with this important role. Poland understood your decision as a sign of trust and recognition for my country's efforts towards advancing sustainable urbanization both at home and worldwide, including as a former host of the World Urban Forum and at the United Nations, for example, as a co-chair of the Group of Friends of UN-Habitat sustainable urbanization, and the New Urban Agenda. I would also like to thank our de-co-facilitator, Malawi. Thank you for traveling this journey together, together with us. I would like to underscore that Poland approached the negotiations of the political declaration with enthusiasm and resolve. Resolve that this should not be a mere stock-taking exercise of what has or has not been achieved since the adoption, since the adoption of the New Urban Agenda, or not even an occasion to recommit to its realization. Those 2 goals were a given. We saw this midterm review as a distinct opportunity to contextualize the vision of the New Urban Agenda and to adapt it to the present reality of the year 2026. And our conviction: the political declaration seized this opportunity. The declaration follows the logic of the New Urban Agenda in emphasizing that only a balanced and integrated approach across social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable urban development can contribute to a successful realization of the vision of just, safe, healthy, accessible, affordable, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements. The Declaration advocates for leaving no one behind in terms of social development. It promotes cities as spaces of equal economic opportunities, with access to affordable housing, as well as strives to strengthen their environmental resilience. Moreover, and perhaps most critically, the declaration acknowledges that nowadays the central challenge is not an absence of agreed vision of cities of the future, but persistent and widening implementation gaps in realizing that vision. Therefore, the declaration also provides useful updates in how we can strengthen and scale the means of implementation of the New Urban Agenda, particularly at the local level, and with application of innovative and modern means. What is also significant, the Declaration points out to all pillars of the United Nations outlined in the UN Charter and the need for a balance between them in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. Finally, the Declaration affirms that towns, cities, and local and regional governments alike are key partners, co-creators, and implementers in delivering sustainable development outcomes, and that they need to be empowered. In conclusion, let me underscore that the final shape which the Declaration took, with the elements which I mentioned and others, that could not have been achieved without a true spirit of consensus and ambition that have accompanied the negotiations conducted in the past months. During this time, every delegation wishing so had a chance to present its priorities, which I believe are duly reflected. Therefore, I would like to extend my appreciation to all delegations. Thank you for shaping together this excellent outcome document. Thanks a lot.

Thank you.

I thank the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development of Poland. I now give the floor to His Excellency Anar Guliyev, Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, it's a great honor to address this high-level meeting on the midterm review of the New Urban Agenda. Allow me to express my sincere appreciation to Ms. Annalena Baerbock, President of the United Nations General Assembly, for convening this important meeting. I also thank UN-Habitat, particularly Executive Director Ms. Ana Claudia Roosbach, and co-chairs and members of the Group of Friends of UN-Habitat, Sustainable Urbanization, and the New Urban Agenda for their leadership and contribution to this process. Excellencies, this midterm review is more than an assessment of progress. It is an opportunity to renew our political commitment and accelerate implementation of the New Urban Agenda through 2036. Cities today face growing pressures, from rapid urbanization and the demand for adequate and affordable housing, to climate change, disasters, conflicts, and displacement. Yet they also offer some of our greatest opportunities for sustainable development, innovation, and prosperity. The success of the 2030 Agenda will largely depend on how we plan, govern, and transform our cities. Just 2 months ago, Azerbaijan was honored to host WUF XIII. With more than 58,000 participants from 176 countries, it became the largest World Urban Forum ever held and an important milestone on the road to today's meeting. For the first time in the Forum's history, WUF XIII featured a Leaders Segment convened at the initiative of His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Bringing together 27 heads of states and government and leaders of international organizations, it elevated urban development to the highest political level, highlighting its importance for sustainable development, climate resilience, peace, and human well-being. The Forum also hosted a ministerial meeting on the New Urban Agenda, bringing together representatives of 111 countries, including 80 ministers and deputy ministers. The decisions confirmed our shared determination to move from commitments to implementation through integrated planning, adequate and affordable housing, multilevel governance, and stronger partnerships. These priorities were reflected in the Chair's Summary and reinforced by the Baku Call to Action. Hosting both COP29 and WUF13 within a short period reinforced an important lesson. Climate action and sustainable urbanization can no longer be pursued on separate tracks. There can be no successful climate transition without successful urban transformation. In Azerbaijan, the principles of the New Urban Agenda guide our work in integrated spatial planning, affordable housing, digital transformation, climate resilience, and the reconstruction of the liberated territories based on the principle of building back better. As we enter the second decade of implementation, the next decade must show that the New Urban Agenda is not only our urban agenda, but also our most practical climate agenda. The journey from Quito gave us the vision. Baku renewed the political momentum. Now New York can shape the next decade. Azerbaijan remains fully committed to working with UN-Habitat, the United Nations system, Member States, and all partners to advance sustainable urbanization for all. I wish the high-level meeting every success.

Thank you.

I thank the Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan. I now give the floor to Ms. Ana-Claudia Rosbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.

Her Excellency, Ms. Anna-Lena Baerbock, President of the United Nations General Assembly. Excellency Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ngah Khor Ming, President of the United Nations Habitat Assembly and Minister for Housing and Local Government of Malaysia. Distinguished ministers, excellencies, ambassadors, mayors, local government leaders, all stakeholders. Today we gather at a defining moment. A moment to reflect not only on how far we have come since the adoption of the New Urban Agenda in Quito nearly a decade ago, but also on the urban future we are building for generations to come. I recall so clearly the spirit of Quito. How amazing was the preparatory process towards the New Urban Agenda, one of the most participatory and inclusive processes of the UN. Local governments and civil society had an important voice alongside national governments. Back 10 years ago, we had a magic moment when relevant agendas were approved, including the SDGs and the climate agenda. People believed in the future of cities, in the future of humanity, and in the future of the planet. The New Urban Agenda was born from a powerful conviction that sustainable urbanization if well planned and managed, can be one of humanity's greatest tools for advancing prosperity, equity, and sustainability. And 10 years on, we can see that it has provided a common framework to translate global commitments into local action and investment. But 10 years ago, we could not have ever imagined how complex and uncertain our world would become. The world has changed. Today, cities face intersecting challenges: climate change, rising inequalities, conflict, displacement, and an unprecedented housing crisis. crisis at an unacceptable level. These realities make the New Urban Agenda more relevant than ever. Excellencies, when we left Quito in 2016, we affirmed a simple but powerful proposition: that sustainable urbanization can be a force for social inclusion and a pathway out of poverty. 10 years later, there is encouraging progress. More people have access to electricity, safe water, sanitation, digital connectivity, and public transport. We just assessed this data last week as we reviewed SDG 11. Housing has risen on political agendas And investments in affordable housing, slum upgrading, and urban infrastructure are improving lives. Yet our work is far from complete. Over 1 billion people still live in informal settlements. Housing costs continue to rise. Inequalities are deepening. And many people— women, young, old, migrants, with disabilities, displaced, indigenous remain excluded from urban opportunities. Yes, urbanization remains a powerful force for inclusion, but its benefits are still distributed too unevenly. Excellencies, the New Urban Agenda recognized also cities as engines of economic transformation. The vision remains ever relevant. Cities continue to drive innovation, investment, productivity, and entrepreneurship. Yet youth unemployment, informal work, and rising living costs continue to limit opportunities for millions. Unlocking the economic potential of cities requires unlocking the financing that enables them to deliver. Finally, cities are at the center of both the climate crisis and its solutions. Local leaders on the front line are both facing emergencies but also bringing innovation. Thousands of cities have strengthened their climate commitments, and many are expanding investments in renewable energy resilient infrastructure, and sustainable mobility. Cities worldwide are demonstrating that integrated urban planning can reduce emissions while creating jobs, improving public health, and enhancing quality of life. Yet emissions continue to rise, and the poorest communities, particularly those living in informal settlements, bear the greatest risks. Air pollution continues to threaten millions while waste generation outpaces the capacity to manage it. Land consumption still outpaces population growth, posing a threat to the environment, natural resources such as water, and food security. To conclude, I really would like to express my gratitude to the President of the General Assembly, to the co-facilitators Poland and Malawi, to bring us here today. The message from this midterm review is clear. If we are serious about achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, as raised by the Deputy Secretary-General, we must accelerate implementation of the New Urban Agenda. That means investing in affordable and sustainable housing, resilient infrastructure, inclusive local economic development, and integrated urban planning. Housing is not simply a social issue. It is a foundation of resilient, productive and inclusive cities. It must be placed at the centre of national development strategies. More than ever, we need to go back to Quito, not only to the commitments, but mostly important, to the spirit and forces that drove us to the New Urban Agenda: the spirit of hope, the sense of belief in change, A change in the course of action, a change that can be endorsed by all, the firm belief that we could form an alliance and co-create an urban future for all us to thrive. We saw this spirit in Baku, Azerbaijan, as 58,000 people met at the WOF XIII. Now is the time not only to renew our commitments, but to resolve. To empower local governments, strengthen national urban policies, and give cities the tools they need to lead sustainable development. The New Urban Agenda is more than a vision for cities. It is a roadmap for people. Let us act with urgency, ambition, and partnership to build inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities for current and future generations. generations. And I thank you.

I thank the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. We've heard the last speaker for the opening segment of the high-level meeting. As announced in my letter dated July 9th, 2026, we will now proceed to consider draft resolution A/80/L89, entitled Political Declaration to Renew Commitment and Accelerate the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda. Before giving the floor for explanations of vote before the vote, as announced in my letters dated January 6th and 20th May 2026, I propose that the time limits for statements in explanation of vote under this item be 5 minutes. Is there any objection to this proposal? I hear none. It is so decided. Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 72 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, when a representative exceeds her or his allotted time, the President shall call the speaker to order without delay, which will be done by means of automatic microphone cutoff. To assist delegations in managing their time, a countdown clock will be displayed on the screens. Members are also reminded that explanations of votes should be made by delegations from their seats. And as we have many guests from Capitol, thankfully, today, please be aware when the microphone starts blinking. This means your speaking time is coming to an end, and afterwards you have an automatic microphone cutoff. As the first speaker for the explanation of vote before the vote, I now give the floor to the representative of the United Nations, followed by— United— I'm sorry, United States, followed by Israel.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The United States maintains a clear position on economic development. Solutions must be tailored to each nation's distinctive economic and political circumstances while maintaining the goal of developing free and fair open market systems. However, instead of focusing on practical solutions that unleash private investment and empower local communities. This text has unfortunately been hijacked by language that undermines national sovereignty, penalizes free enterprise, and advances deeply flawed economic concepts. Furthermore, we must address the impracticality of the document itself. This is supposed to be a concise, actionable political declaration to guide urban development yet it has devolved into an exhaustive, over-negotiated laundry list of grievances and bureaucracy. True political will is demonstrated through focus and clarity, not by burying real issues under mountains of UN boilerplate text. The United States flatly rejects paragraph 42, which, I quote, strongly urges states to retain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial, or trade measures, end quote. Let me be perfectly clear. Sanctions are a vital, legitimate tool of foreign policy and national security. UN political declaration cannot and do not restrict the sovereign right to use economic leverage against regimes that violate human rights, threaten global security, or disregard the rule of law. This text repeatedly demands that international financial institutions and donor nations provide, quote, concessional and not debt— non-debt-creating finance, end quote, alongside top-down, quote, technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, end quote. Economic development isn't achieved through global wealth redistribution or command-and-control economics. Additionally, the United States objects to the extensive and deeply flawed references to climate change woven throughout this document. Urban resilience is a matter of sound infrastructure and engineering, not subservience to aggressive climate global pacts. The United States objects to the repeated ideological insertion of the term gender and concepts like gender-responsive frameworks into what should be a practical text on municipal planning and housing. We must reject the UN's persistent attempts to use economic resolutions to promote divisive social agendas. Finally, we cannot support a document that seeks to expand the UN's footprint into domestic urban planning. This text calls for integrating UN programming directly into host governments' local documents and pushes for massive global oversight through new platforms like the, quote, global urban data collection, end quote, and a system-wide UN strategy. Local authorities should be accountable to the citizens who live in those cities, not to a sprawling, unaccountable UN bureaucracy in Nairobi or New York. We underscore that UN General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, that they do not create rights or obligations under international law, nor do they change the current state of conventional or customary international law. The United States stands ready to work with any nation that shares our goal to restore the UN's founding principles purpose and ensure it delivers real results for the nations and people it serves. We stand ready to cooperate on shared concerns, solutions, and reforms. For these reasons, the United States votes no. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States. I now give the floor to the representative of Israel.

Thank you, Madam President. Israel appreciates the work of the co-facilitators in managing the difficult negotiations on this declaration.

Israel participated constructively in these consultations and showed flexibility where necessary and where it could.

However, my delegation was clear from the start that it did not and would not support certain politicized elements—

elements that the proponents knew in advance would not enjoy consensus. Ultimately, these delegations decided that pushing through their narrow political interests was a higher priority than seeing universal agreement on the development pathway ahead.

For this reason, Madam President, Israel will vote no against this resolution.

and disassociates from paragraph 7. We urge other delegations to send the message that UN declarations are not political tools or individual prizes, that such actions made by a few delegations only cheapen these outcomes.

Thank you.

I thank Israel. We have heard the last speaker in the explanation of vote before Thank you, Mr.

President. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. President, for the vote. The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution. A recorded vote has been requested. We shall now begin the voting process. Those in favor of draft resolution A/80/L89, please signify. The Assembly is now voting on Draft Resolution A/80/L89 entitled Political Declaration to Renew Commitment and Accelerate the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda.

Will all delegations confirm that their votes are accurately reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed.

Please lock the machine. The result of the vote is as follows: in favor, 148; against, 2; abstentions, 0. Draft Resolution A/80/L89 is adopted. Before giving the floor for explanation of vote after the vote, may I remind delegations that explanation of vote are limited to 5 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats, and that they will be strictly enforced by microphone cutoff. Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 72 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, when a representative exceeds her or his allotted time, the President shall call the speaker to order without delay. As such, by automatic microphone cutoffs to assist delegations managing their time, a countdown clock will be displayed on the screens. Members are also reminded that explanations of vote should be made from their seats. As the first speaker, I now give the floor to the representative of Japan, followed by the United Kingdom and El Salvador.

Thank you very much, Madam President, distinguished delegates. Japan welcomes the adoption of the political declaration for this midterm review of the New Urban Agenda. We express our appreciation to the co-facilitators Poland and Malawi for their dedicated efforts. As we assess our progress, Japan remains deeply committed to promoting safe, resilient, and sustainable cities, ensuring that our collective efforts leave no one behind. While we vote for yes today to maintain international solidarity, Japan wishes to clarify its position on the climate-related language in the text. Specifically, in paragraph 30, the principle of CBDR can induce an unnecessary and unrealistic bifurcation between developing and developed countries. Japan recognizes climate change as a global challenge that requires all states to collaborate and take joint action. Therefore, we feel that it is inappropriate to include this divisive concept Thank you. The Rio Declaration was adopted more than 30 years ago, and it is deeply regrettable that the relevant paragraph does not reflect the language of the Paris Agreement, which was adopted by all parties in light of subsequent discussions. Having said that, Japan will accept the paragraph as adopted, given the importance of implementing of New Urban Agenda. Madam President, Our flexibility on this matter reflects Japan's belief that our priority must be action, not political division. As we look forward toward the year 2036, Japan remains fully prepared to work with UN-Habitat and our partners at the international, national, and local levels to translate our shared commitments under the New Urban Agenda into tangible progress for urban communities worldwide. Thank you, Madam President.

I thank the distinguished representative of Japan. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom.

Thank you, Mr. President, distinguished delegates. The United Kingdom welcomes the adoption of the Political Declaration on the Midterm Review of the New Urban Agenda and thank the co-facilitators, the Permanent Representatives of Poland and Malawi, for their leadership throughout this process and UN-Habitat for their support. We voted in favor of the political declaration. We are pleased that the declaration reaffirms the New Urban Agenda as the agreed global framework for sustainable urbanization and is coherent with the 2030 Agenda the Paris Agreement, the Global Biodiversity Framework, and the Sendai Framework. We particularly welcome the emphasis on implementation, strengthening governance, empowering local and regional authorities, and supporting participate— the participation of civil society, academia, and the private sector. We also welcome the recognition of climate-resilient and gender-responsive urban development as a driver of inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development. However, we must dissociate from paragraph 30 given the reference to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, CBDR. As stated in previous discussions, we do not support singling out one principle of the Rio Declaration in a manner that suggests it carries greater weight than others. We do not consider CBDR to be a principle of customary international law and believe it should remain confined to those instruments and frameworks where it was originally negotiated and agreed. That said, overall, we support the Declaration and remain committed to its implementation. We look forward to working with you all to accelerate sustainable, inclusive, climate-resilient urban development to 2036. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of El Salvador, followed by Ireland and Paraguay.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, El Salvador would like to express its gratitude to the permanent representatives of Malawi and Poland for the transparent, inclusive, and balanced way they conducted the negotiating process on the political ministerial declaration that we have just adopted. Your leadership allowed us to achieve a robust document that reaffirms our commitment to the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and sustainable urban development. For that reason, El Salvador reaffirms its firm commitment to the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and recognizes its firm support for the midterm political declaration. We believe it is essential to accelerate efforts to promote cities and human settlements that are more secure, resilient, and sustainable, particularly in developing countries. In that regard, in that spirit, El Salvador will continue to advance initiatives aimed at guaranteeing adequate housing with access to basic services, building sustainable and smart cities that are person-focused. That notwithstanding, El Salvador would like to put on record that it dissociates from paragraph 42 of this declaration. This position is in line with the need to maintain consistency with the national focuses and priorities. In relation to the subjects addressed in that paragraph, in respect of which the country maintains its own considerations without that affecting the consensus achieved on the political declaration. At the same time, on paragraphs 25 and 28, El Salvador interprets that their implementation should be in line with international obligations that have been taken on, the priorities of the state, and the internal constitutional framework. With that in mind, my country will continue continue to strengthen public policies aimed at guaranteeing the rights of women and girls in accordance with our national reality. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of El Salvador. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ireland on behalf of the EU.

Thank you, Mr. President. Excellencies, colleagues, I have the honor to deliver this confirmation of vote on behalf of the European Union and its member states. We thank the permanent representatives of Malawi and Poland for their excellent stewardship of consultations. The EU and its member states voted in favor of the political declaration on the midterm review of the New Urban Agenda today. However, we would like to put on record that we regret the standalone inclusion of paragraph 30 in this document. Notably, we regret that the paragraph singles out the principle of common but differentiated responsibility from all of the principles of the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. The Rio Declaration is a balanced text built upon the articulation of 27 principles, among which the principle of equity, which guide us forward in ensuring sustainable development for present and future generations. Isolating one principle is an unfaithful reflection of this important consensus. We request that the EU's position on paragraph 30 and the rationale be included in the record of this meeting. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ireland. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Paraguay, followed by Uruguay.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I would now like to present the explanation of our national position regarding the adoption of the political declaration on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. It should be stressed that paragraph 74 of Resolution 60/1 reaffirms the voluntary nature of the follow-up and review process of the implementation of that agenda, which should be carried out in accordance with normative frameworks and national priorities. Consequently, the national government is implementing development plans in full exercise of the sovereignty of the Paraguayan state with unlimited respect for its constitutional principles. Moreover, my delegation would like to recall that for Paraguay, any definition of gender is limited exclusively to the differentiation between women and men. Indeed, the Constitution of the Republic of Paraguay and the normative framework in force lays the basis for real and effective equality and allows for no forms of discrimination of any sort. Lastly, my delegation would like to put on record that Paraguay dissociates from paragraph 42 of the document. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Paraguay. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uruguay on behalf of the Group of the 7 and China.

Mr. President, I have the honor to deliver this explanation of position on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. At the outset, the group regrets that this political declaration was put to a vote. Throughout the process, the group engaged actively, constructively, and in good faith with a clear preference for a consensual outcome and acknowledges the efforts of the co-facilitators to steer a complex negotiation and accommodate to the extent possible, the concerns and priorities expressed by delegations. We therefore regret that consensus could not be preserved at the point of adoption. Mr. President, the Group of 77 and China decided not to break the second silence procedure and to join consensus and therefore voted in favor of the final text As taken as a whole, it represented an acceptable and carefully balanced outcome, particularly in light of the difficult negotiating context. For the Group, it was especially important that the final text preserve key elements of relevance to developing countries. Among them, we note in particular the explicit reaffirmation of the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, the preservation of language on the particular challenges faced by developing countries and countries in special situations, the retention of references of importance to many developing countries in the area of unilateral measures, and inclusion of meaningful language on means of implementation, particularly for developing countries, including financing, capacity building, technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, and strengthen international cooperation. The Group also took into account that while not every element of the final text fully reflected its preferred formulations, the 3rd revised text accommodated a number of the Group's substantive concerns and on balance provided a basis on which the Group could support adoption in a spirit of compromise. Mr. President, the Group hopes that this unfortunate recourse to a vote will not detract from the political value of the Declaration nor from the importance of the high-level meeting itself. Our attention must now turn to implementation. The commitments contained in this Declaration must translate into concrete support for developing countries, including adequate means of implementation, strengthened international cooperation, and renewed political commitment to the New Urban Agenda. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Uruguay. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Mr. President, I appreciate the role of the PGA and the co-facilitators in this important process. The Islamic Republic of Iran aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the group of G77 and China. We join the consensus on this political declaration in an spirit of consensus engagement and with the objective of strengthening international cooperation to accelerate the implementation of the New Urban Agenda while addressing the pressing development challenges faced by developing countries. We welcome the Declaration's recognition of the need for adequate, predictable, and accessible means of implementation, including finance, technology transfer, capacity building, strengthened international cooperation, and the reaffirmation of importance of South-South cooperation. In the face of growing urban challenges, particularly in developing countries, these means of implementation are indispensable for translating shared commitments into tangible improvements in the lives of millions, millions of people. Mr. President, unilateral coercive measures remain a major obstacle to international cooperation and to the effective implementation of our shared commitments. Their elimination remains essential for the effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda. At the same time, my delegation wishes to place on record its reservation regarding references and terminology relating to agenda that go behind the agreed language of intergovernmentally agreed and consensus. Iran interprets all such references in accordance with its national laws, cultural and religious values. Mr. President, sustainable urban agenda cannot be achieved where the Charter of the United Nations and international law are violated. Furthermore, while the declaration acknowledged the impacts of armed conflicts on cities and infrastructure, it does not adequately reflect the devastating humanitarian, economic, social, and environmental consequences of military aggression against civilian populations and critical infrastructure. There can be no safe, resilient, or sustainable cities where populations are subjected to military aggression. Displacements, destruction of infrastructure, and prolonged disruption of essential services. Finally, Mr. President, the Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates that the implementation of new urban agenda must fully respect the principle of sovereign equality, non-interference, the right to development, national ownership, and the right of every state to determine its own development priorities. This principle can only be fully realized through genuine international cooperation, effective multilateralism, and central role of the United Nations. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We have heard the last speaker in explanation of vote. after the vote. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to His Excellency Krzysztof Szczeski, Permanent Representative of Poland to the United Nations, and Her Excellency Agnes Chimbiri Mulande, Permanent Representative of Malawi to the United Nations, who ably and patiently conducted the discussions and complex negotiations in the informal consultations on the draft resolution. I am sure members of the Assembly join me in extending to them our sincere appreciation. Before proceeding further, as announced in the letters of the President dated 20 May and 10 July, I propose that the time limit I propose that the time allotted for statements in the debate on this item be 5 minutes for individual delegations speaking in their national capacity and 7 minutes for statements made on behalf of a group of states. Is there any objection to this proposal? I hear none. It is so decided.

Thank you.

Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 72 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, when a representative exceeds his or her allotted time, the President shall call the speaker to order without delay, which will be done by means of automatic micro— microphone cutoff. To assist delegations in managing their time, a countdown clock will be displayed on the screens. Please be aware that the remaining speaking time is displayed on the left-hand side of the restroom. Having said this, I would appeal to all speakers to deliver their statements at a reasonable pace to facilitate interpretation into the 6 official languages. I now give the floor to His Excellency Branko Bašić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Physical Planning, Construction, and State Assets of Croatia.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we welcome the adoption of the political declaration. It reaffirms our shared commitment to the New Urban Agenda and encourages us to accelerate its implementation. Croatia remains fully committed to these goals. We continue to strengthen our legal and strategic frameworks, improve urban governance, advance digital transformation and spatial planning and construction, and invest in climate-resilient urban regeneration and post-earthquake recognition. Partnerships are essential. Croatia will continue to work closely with UN-Habitat, European and international institutions, academia, civil society, and the private sector to promote knowledge sharing, innovation, and sustainable urban development. International cooperation is also crucial for addressing common urban challenges. We believe it's especially important to exchange good practices improve access to finance for affordable housing and urban regeneration, strengthen the capacity of smaller cities, and work together on climate change, demographic trends, migration, and the impacts of tourism. Since the adoption of the New Urban Agenda in 2016, Croatia has made a significant process. Our National Development Strategy 2030 sets our key priorities: the green and digital transition, greater resilience to crisis, balanced regional development, and better quality of life for all citizens. Among our key achievements are the implementation of integrated territorial investments, the digitalization of spatial planning and construction, and the reconstruction following the devastating earthquakes in Zagreb and Petrinja. Guided by the Build Back Better principle, we are rebuilding safer, more resilient, and more energy-efficient homes and infrastructure. We have also adopted the National Housing Policy Plan until 2030, providing a long-term framework for affordable, sustainable, and inclusive housing. At the same time, we continue to face important challenges. Housing affordability has declined due to rising property prices. We are also addressing demographic decline, regional disparities, increasing climate risk, limited administrative capacity, and the need for greater investment in urban generation, climate adaptation, and sustainable mobility. Looking ahead, Croatia has identified 5 priorities for accelerating the implementation of the New Urban Agenda: ensuring affordable and resilient housing, strengthening integrated territorial development, accelerating the transition to climate-neutral and resilient cities, advancing digital governance and e-government services, and promoting socially inclusive urban development. Building on our National Development Strategy and the National Housing Policy Plan, Croatia will continue working towards these goals. In conclusion, Croatia remains firmly committed to the New Urban Agenda. Through strong partnership and international cooperation, we will continue to contribute to sustainable urban development that leaves no one behind. I thank you.

I thank the Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia. I now give the floor to Her Excellency Tamara Paceiro, Minister of Housing and Territorial Planning of Uruguay, speaking also on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

President, distinguished delegates, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. At the outset, I would like to thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this meeting as an opportunity to assess progress, identify good practices, gaps, and challenges, and to accelerate implementation towards achieving the New Urban Agenda by 2036. Furthermore, allow me to express the group's appreciation to the permanent representatives of Poland and Malawi for their leadership as co-facilitators of the political declaration. We welcome that the political declaration recognizes the unique and emerging urban development challenges faced by all countries, particularly developing countries, as well as the specific challenges confronting cities affected by armed conflict and crises, including the destruction of housing and infrastructure. The G77 and China also welcomes that the declaration reaffirms the new urban agenda as the global framework for sustainable urbanization and human settlements and preserves important elements for developing countries. The group firmly believes that cities and human settlements can be key drivers of sustainable development and further underlines the undeniable linkages between urban development, public health, social cohesion, and equitable access to opportunities and basic services. In this regard, adequate, affordable, and sustainable housing for all should be at the center of all efforts together with universal and equitable access to basic services including safe drinking water, sanitation, food security and nutrition, and social protection systems. These efforts should also contribute to the eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions including extreme poverty and to ending hunger, particularly in underserved and rapidly growing urban and peri-urban areas. We are deeply concerned about the complex urban challenges we face and call for the urgent implementation of our commitments on sustainable urban development. To this end, strengthened international cooperation must remain a central pillar of our collective efforts. Therefore, the group reiterates the call for adequate, predictable, sustainable, and accessible means of implementation for developing countries, including official development assistance, transfer of technology, technical assistance and capacity building through strengthening national and local planning and implementation capacities. We also reaffirm our support for UN-Habitat and the need to ensure that it has the resources to effectively support the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, particularly in developing countries. The group further emphasizes the adverse impact of unilateral economic, financial and trade measures that are not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, as they undermine the capacity of developing countries to achieve sustainable development. Finally, the G77 and China further expresses its concern about the impacts of climate change and emphasized the need for environmentally sustainable and resilient urban development through stronger commitments to resilient and risk-informed urban development, including disaster risk reduction, climate finance for adaptation, resilience building, and integrated planning while reaffirming the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, which remains essential to preserving the balance of the new urban agenda and to advancing sustainable development in a fair and effective manner. President, the Group of 77 and China reiterates that achieving sustainable urban development will require renewed political commitment, strengthened international cooperation, and genuine partnerships among all stakeholders. Only through solidarity, cooperation, and collective action will we be able to ensure that cities and human settlements become inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable for present and future generations. President, I would now like to add a few words in my national capacity on behalf of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. Almost a decade on from the adoption of the New Urban Agenda, we can see significant progress. However, this progress remains unevenly distributed among countries and within cities themselves, particularly in informal settlements and the most vulnerable neighborhoods. Cities now have the majority of the world's population, and they are where some of the main challenges for sustainable development converge. Urban poverty, the shortage of housing, and local inequalities continue to limit opportunities for millions of people. Therefore, Uruguay considers that decent housing is a central component in poverty reduction policies, policies for opportunities, resilience, and sustainable development. These challenges take place in an increasingly complex international context marked by the climate crisis, demographic change, economic volatility, armed conflict, and changes in development financing. The new urban agenda, including the lack of adequate and predictable financing, gaps in institutional capacities, the lack of information for decision-making, and various different forms of discrimination affecting access to housing, the public space, transport, and services, especially for persons with disabilities and women, girls, and older persons. For Uruguay, housing and the habitat are essential conditions for human development, social cohesion, and for building a more just country. Our priorities are households with children that face greater difficulties in accessing and keeping decent housing and an adequate habitat. We know that the challenges are complex and that there is no one solution. That is why we are strengthening coordination among the different levels of government as well as working together with civil society, the community, academia, and the private sector. We understand that adequate housing cannot be achieved in isolation. Rather, it is part of an environment that guarantees access to services and good quality spaces, job opportunities, education opportunities, and the chance to build communities. That is why our housing policy takes place based on a comprehensive and local perspective, working with other social policies and aimed at addressing the different realities faced by each department and city. Equally, international cooperation remains essential to build capacities, improve data availability, exchange experiences, and mobilize resources. In this regard, Uruguay highlights the value of regional platforms for promoting the more effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda. In that spirit, our country this year holds the presidency of the Forum of Ministers and Senior Authorities of Housing and Urban Development for Latin America and the Caribbean. There we are promoting the exchange of good practices, strengthening capacities and regional cooperation, aiming at achieving synergies with the other international agendas linked to sustainable development. To conclude, Uruguay reaffirms its commitment to the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and to multilateralism within the framework of the United Nations. Thank you very much.

I thank the Minister of Housing and Territorial Planning of Uruguay. I now give the floor to Her Excellency Susana Mrazova, Minister of Regional Development of Czechia.

Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, we welcome the convening of this high-level meeting and commend the continued commitment of all partners to advancing the New Urban Agenda. It offers a timely opportunity to reflect on the progress achieved, identify the challenges that remain, and reaffirm our shared commitment accelerating implementation in full alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG 11 on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Since 2016, we have made tangible progress in Czechia. We have strengthened integrated territorial approaches through metropolitan and urban-rural partnerships, enabling better coordination of investments across functional regions. We have also strengthened strategic and spatial planning at both municipal and regional levels while investing in sustainable mobility, digitalization, and high-quality public spaces through participa— participatory approaches to local development, we have fostered social cohesion, strengthened community engagement, and ensured that urban transformation responds to the needs of residents. EU cohesion policy has played a key role in translating global commitments into concrete local outcomes. At the same time, significant challenges remain. Access to affordable housing has become one of the most pressing issues facing our cities. Socio-spatial disparities and differences in institutional capacity among municipalities continue to affect social cohesion and sustainable urban development. Attention should be given to small and intermediate cities, which are essential for balanced territorial development and equal opportunities across regions. Looking ahead, 3 priorities are essential to accelerate implementation. First, we must reinforce integrated governance and ensure that sectoral policies are better aligned across all levels of government. Second, we need to scale up investment in affordable and sustainable housing by combining new construction, renovation, and smart land use planning. Third, we must empower local authorities through targeted capacity building, improved access to financing, and stronger involvement in decision-making. Urban policies must also strengthen social cohesion, prevent socio-spatial segregation, and ensure that everyone can benefit from economic and social opportunities. Czechia remains firmly committed to these efforts. We will continue to support integrated territorial instruments, deepen partnership across all levels of governance, and contribute actively to knowledge sharing within the European Union and beyond. Building trust in public institutions and encouraging meaningful citizen participation participation are increasingly important for successful urban transformation. The years ahead will, will be decisive. We must turn our shared commitments into measurable results that improve people's daily lives across all territories. Finally, international cooperation remains indispensable. The practical exchange of experience, stronger local capacities, and effective partnerships are essential enablers of sustainable urban development. Cities and regions are where global commitments are translated into tangible improvements in people's daily lives. By investing in them, empowering local authorities, and strengthening our partnerships, we can accelerate progress toward SDG 11 and fully realize the ambitions of the New Urban Agenda.

Thank you.

I thank the Minister of Regional Development of Czechia. I now give the floor to Her Excellency Michelle Sol, Minister of Housing of El Salvador.

Just a few years ago, El Salvador was considered to be one of the most violent countries in the world. In 2018, more than 9 Salvadorans lost their lives every day as a result of violence. That was the reality in a country in which fear hung over daily life and limited development opportunities. Today, El Salvador is undergoing a profound transformation. We have managed to overcome enormous challenges, including violence caused by criminal entities, and we are now moving ahead with addressing other challenges which we share with the majority of the countries represented here. One of the most important lessons that we have learned is that there can be no truly sustainable city when families are living in fear. Security is also an urban policy because no public space, no community, and no city can fully develop where fear dominates. It is an essential condition for the sustainable development of our countries. In El Salvador, we understand that the home is the space where families build their futures, they generate wealth, they strengthen their stability and develop their life plans. That is why we have worked on a comprehensive policy that combines access to financing, legal certainty, urban planning and close cooperation with the private sector to facilitate the construction of social housing and to expand opportunities for more families to access We have created a virtuous circle within the housing system that brings together various different state institutions to streamline permits for social projects, to support developers, and to facilitate access to long-term mortgages for families that want to purchase a home. At the same time, we have strengthened the resilience of our communities through resettlement programs that have helped move thousands of families living in high-risk areas into safe communities with resilient infrastructure, basic services, and better opportunities for their development. Moreover, we have moved ahead with the legalization of thousands of properties because a deed represents much more than just a document. It means legal certainty, wealth, and access to credit. The regularization of property is one of the first steps towards reducing the housing shortage and towards promoting more inclusive urban development. However, the shortage of housing remains one of the major challenges facing our region. We are convinced that this challenge requires comprehensive solutions, but it also requires innovative financing policies. That can provide long-term loans with affordable interest rates and installments that are in line with families' ability to pay. Today, the main challenge to building more housing isn't just a technical challenge; it's also a financial one. The pace at which we can reduce the shortage of housing will depend on our ability to expand access to long-term credit and affordable accessible interest rates. No country will be able to address its housing shortage if families don't have access to long-term financing and to accessible interest rates. For that reason, we call upon the international community, multilateral organizations, the financial sector, and the private sector to put the financing of housing at the center of the international agenda. El Salvador reaffirms its commitment to continue promoting programs and projects that transform the realities of families' lives with cooperative housing projects, construction loans, credit at subsidized rates for social housing, rentals, and other programs that address the specific needs of our population. Our experience shows that security, housing, Urban planning and access to financing are not isolated policies. They are pillars, complementary pillars upon which we can build more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities. Because building housing means building stability. Legalizing a property is a way of generating opportunities, and facilitating access to financing paves the way towards more inclusive development. Peace allowed us to get our land back. And now access to housing, to financing, and to opportunities is what we are working on, and that will allow families to build their future. That is the transformation that we want for Salvadorans. Thank you.

I thank the Minister of Housing of El Salvador. I now give the floor to Her Excellency Isabel Rodríguez García. Minister of Housing and Urban Agenda of Spain.

Thank you, President. Distinguished representatives of the United Nations, ministers, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I have the honor to take the floor on behalf of the Government of Spain at this meeting to Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, everybody, for joining us today for this meeting devoted to the midterm review of the New Urban Agenda. I'd like to begin by thanking the United Nations and UN-Habitat for convening this meeting, which allows us to take stock of the progress that has been achieved since the adoption of the New Urban Agenda in Quito, which today, through the political declaration, remains fully in force. Its principles are today more necessary than ever. The context has worsened. It has changed. And there are 2 major global crises that require us to adapt our responses. We face a crisis of access to housing of global proportions, which is undermining the stability and the future of millions of families in Spain and all around the world, and which is jeopardizing social cohesion, coexistence, and the right to decent and affordable housing. And we are facing a climate crisis with extreme phenomena which in my country has faced as a result of the devastating Dana, the high-altitude isolated depression with more than 230 human lives lost, or the recent fire last week which claimed the lives of 13 people. There is no room for doubt. Our lives depend on it. We must act together with cooperation and with strength to achieve more modern and inhabitable cities for persons. In Spain, we have spent years responding to this social and environmental challenge, aware of how important it is, and we have even gone a step further with the creation of the Ministry of Housing and the Urban Agenda, which I have the honor of leading. In 2019, we adopted the Spanish Urban Agenda to adapt the Global Goals to our local reality, and 7 years on, we can say that we have built an exemplary framework for public action. 7 autonomous communities and more than 500 local entities, which represent more than half of our population, have moved forward with their own agendas and plans that are adapted to their local areas, which range from major cities to rural areas. Our efforts at the government level are focused on 2 main priorities. The first is guaranteeing decent housing and urban environments, primarily with the construction of affordable and efficient public offering and also supporting good quality architecture and urbanism. And secondly, we have strengthened strategic planning so that towns, cities, and neighborhoods can also be increasingly sustainable, resilient, and safe in the face of the climate emergency. This is the path that we need to walk down, but more needs to be done. We are working currently on expanding the Spanish Urban Agenda, opening up participation processes for the Metropolitan Agenda to address demographic changes in major cities and their surrounding areas, and that will allow us to address new challenges and needs that are being raised in those areas. The new urban agenda reminds us that there can be no sustainable sustainable development without sustainable cities and territories. But also, we cannot have that without a firm and lasting step forward. People living in countries such as Ukraine, Palestine, territories such as Gaza, where almost 92% of housing has been destroyed or damaged, is something that must— we must respond to. And I would like to reiterate the call made by the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, to the international community. We must redouble our efforts to move towards A peace that will make it possible to rebuild and that can guarantee decent housing for all of the citizens of the world. Spain will remain committed to the United Nations, to all of you, to accelerate a sustainable urbanization and an urbanization with a future and to work on building peace without which there will be no room for coexistence in our world and in our environment. Thank you very much. We support the political declaration and we reiterate our commitment to the urban agenda and to the values and human rights. Thank you.

I thank the Minister of Housing and Urban Agenda of Spain. I now give the floor to His Excellency Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure of Canada.

Thank you, President.

Good morning, everyone.

Dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen, I acknowledge we are gathered here today on the traditional territory of the Lenape people and grateful for their stewardship of these lands and waters since time immemorial. Canada is pleased to participate in this high-level meeting on the midterm review of the New Urban Agenda. Our country faces many of the same challenges that are being seen and felt on a global scale: housing affordability, infrastructure renewal, climate impacts, homelessness, demographic change, the financial constraints and growing demand for services that we have in government. À une époque marquée par des pressions mondiales.

At a time marked by common global pressures, international cooperation and partnerships. that are pragmatic remain crucial. It is vital to use partnerships to implement innovative and effective solutions to complex problems.

And of all levels of government across the country and stake— key stakeholders in the housing industry in particular is our approach to accelerate the delivery of the housing that Canadians need. And given the huge challenges we face with homelessness and affordable housing. We must do that faster, smarter, and future-proof everything we build. Building communities is much more than just housing. It is vital to create accessible and livable neighbourhoods. Canada is working to better align our housing and infrastructure investments so that communities can grow in ways that are more affordable, connected, and resilient. Our ambitious Build Agenda must ensure we also reduce climate pollution and adapt to the enormous changes that are impacting us. Like all other countries in Canada, we are facing the increasing frequency and devastating impacts of storm damage, flooding, and wildfires. These are causing chaos for our communities and economic disruption. Climate change is a driving force to do things differently, and climate resilience must be built into housing and infrastructure decisions at the community level from the start. We need to leverage nature-based solutions and natural infrastructure as well to build differently than we once did. We need to build for the climate that we will be facing, not the one that we have enjoyed. Canada is focusing on scaling up construction of more affordable housing and essential community infrastructure, supporting resilience, reducing homelessness, and ensuring that public investments translate into better outcomes for people. Having a safe place to call home is more than just a roof over your head. It is a foundation for health, security, and economic opportunity. Aujourd'hui, plus que jamais—

today, more than ever, it is essential for us to listen to others and to develop new partnerships. We can seek inspiration and through our respective successes and share innovative solutions implemented beyond our borders.

Agenda remains a critical framework. I thank members present here for the strong support as we go forward. As we look into this next decade, Canada believes the priority must be on implementation— practical tools, stronger partnerships, better data, and more effective alignment across all levels of government especially with local governments. Canada will continue to work with UN-Habitat, member states, local governments, Indigenous partners, civil society, and the private sector, and together we will advance sustainable urbanization, adequate housing, resilient infrastructure, and connected communities.

Thank you.

Merci.

I thank the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Infrastructure of Canada, I now give the floor to His Excellency Mohamed Tarek Belaribi, Minister of Housing, Urban Planning, and the City of Algeria.

Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Allow me to express our appreciation to the President of the General Assembly for convening this high-level meeting on the midterm review of the New Urban Agenda. We're halfway today between its adoption in 2016 and the 2036 horizon. Amid a global landscape that is growing more complicated, cities are on the front line of addressing the crises of climate, housing, and social disparities. Since 2016, Algeria made sustainable urban development a national choice enshrined in our development vision and in our 2026 Second VNR, grounded in the principles of social justice, territorial equity, and the principle of leaving no one and nowhere behind. These commitments have yielded concrete results. The capital, Algiers, in 2016 was the first zero-slum African capital recognized by the United Nations. And since 2014, more than 61,000 families were relocated from precarious neighborhoods in new neighborhoods that are serviced with schools, sanitation, and green areas. And 84,000 new public rental housing units were used. This is the essence of the New Urban Agenda, the right to decent living— decent housing, rather, and cities that are fair to their inhabitants. Housing was not a goal per se. This was part of an integrated vision to localize this agenda. In the capital, this was embodied In 4 plans: a blue plan for water and the waterfront, a white plan for rehabilitating the urban fabric, a green plan for restoring ecosystems, and a yellow plan on transport and mobility. Amidst our achievements, converting the— about 45 hectares from a landfill to an eco-park producing energy from biogas. Also, 8,000 hectares of forested areas, thus advancing circular economy. Algiers was awarded the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, the Shanghai Award, in 2025 under the auspices of the United Nations. Ladies and gentlemen, the progress made globally, while concrete, is still outpaced by the scope of challenges. The housing crisis is worsening, informal settlements are spending and financing in cities remains the significant obstacle, particularly for developing countries. We hence underscore on our way towards 2036 the 4 following priorities. First, accelerating investment in decent and affordable housing while continuing to fight precarious housing. Second, building capacities of local communities with sustainable financing that is aligned with the responsibilities. Third, integrating urban dimensions in climate action, particularly when it comes to financing adaptation and resilience. Fourth, advancing international cooperation and transfer of knowledge so that localization becomes a real accelerator of the SDGs. From this rostrum, Algeria remains ready to share its national experience with the friendly and sisterly countries in the framework of the South-South cooperation. We also commit to the political declaration of this meeting in order to accelerate the implementation of the New Urban Agenda by 2036. Sustainable development is the most significant collective challenge. It cannot wait. Cities are our common denominator. Sustainable cities are our shared future.

Thank you.

I thank you.

I thank the Minister-Governor of Algiers. I now give the floor to His Excellency Samuel Migal, Minister of Investments, Regional Development, and Informatization of Slovakia.

Dear ministers, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, it is a great honor to address this high-level meeting on behalf of the Slovak Republic and Ministry of Investments, Regional Development, and Informatization as well. 10 years ago, we adapted the New Urban Agenda with a shared vision that sustainable urbanization is one of the key drivers of peace, prosperity, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Today, our cities stand on the front line of climate action, economic resilience, migration, housing affordability, and the recovery of territories affected by conflict. Slovakia welcomes the progress achieved since 2016. Today's discussion has a broader geopolitical dimension. The recovery of Ukraine will be one of the defining international reconstruction efforts of this decade. It is not only about rebuilding damaged infrastructure. It is about creating cities that are greener, more resilient, more inclusive, and better prepared for, for future challenges. For these reasons, the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development, and Informatization of the Slovak Republic has established a strategic, strategic partnership with UN-Habitat. Together, we recently inaugurated the Ukraine Urban Support Hub in Breslau, city close to the Ukrainian borders, as regional platform connecting governments, municipalities, academia experts, and international partners to support the sustainable recovery of Ukraine cities through spatial planning, municipal, municipal capacity building, housing, and knowledge exchange. We firmly believe that lasting progress can only be achieved through partnership. No country can successfully address the challenges of urbanization climate change or post-war recovery alone. We therefore need stronger international cooperation, more effective financing, and better alignment between global commitments and local implementation. Allow me to reaffirm 3 commitments of the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development, and Informatization of Slovakia. First, we will continue to strengthen our strategic partnership with UN-Habitat and actively contribute to the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. Second, we will continue sharing Slovak expertise in integrated territorial development, digital governance, spatial planning, and municipal capacity building. Building. Third, we remain real reliable partner of the international community in supporting the sustainable recovery and reconstruction of the Ukraine. Excellencies, the new urban agenda is ultimately about the people. It is about ensuring that every city provides adequate housing, quality public services, safe public space, and opportunities for everyone, leaving no one behind. Let me— this midterm review become not only an assessment of, of our, our progress, but also a renewed political commitment to accelerate implementation over the coming decade. We stand ready to work with all partners to build cities that are resilient, inclusive, climate responsive, and capable to delivering a better future for the next generation. But before I finish, let me share one honest thought. Today we are talking about how to build better cities, but too often we fail to stop those cities from being destroyed by war. But the world doesn't need—

I thank, I thank the Minister of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of Slovakia. I now give the floor to His Excellency Koni Bomareo, Minister for Housing of Papua New Guinea.

Thank you, Madam President, Deputy Secretary-General, Excellencies and distinguished delegates, and importantly the Lenape people of New York, the land that offers for this city. As we mark the midpoint of the New Urban Agenda, this is an important moment for reflection and renewed commitment to sustainable urbanization. Madam President, across the Pacific, urbanization is accelerating under pressure from climate change, migration, infrastructure gaps, and expanding informal settlements. In Papua New Guinea, these challenges are increasingly evident in Port Moresby and other urban centers. Housing is therefore not the only development issue. It is an issue of resilience, governance, and human dignity. Madam President, Papua New Guinea continues to strengthen partnerships between national and local governments, development partners, and communities to improve housing, urban planning, and informal settlement outcomes. Madam President, Papua New Guinea has localized the SDGs through the Medium-Term Development Plan 4, our Connect PNG program promotes sustainable, resilient, and affordable housing, while the National Housing Policy 2023 to 2033 and the National Housing Sectoral Development Plan 2023 to 2027 guides the implementations. Madam President, in March of this year, Papua New Guinea hosted the 7th Pacific Urban Forum in Port Moresby, where regional leaders reaffirmed priorities including adequate housing, resilient infrastructure, climate actions, informal settlement upgrading, and stronger urban governance. The forum also highlighted the need to elevate urban issues within the regional and global decision-making to mobilize greater technical and financial support. Looking ahead to 2036, Papua New Guinea believes 3 priorities require accelerated support. One, scale up investment in adequate and climate-resilient housing, particularly for vulnerable and informal communities. Second, strengthen integrated urban planning and land governance, while recognizing the importance of customary land systems in the Pacific context. improve access to financing and technical support, particularly for Small Island Developing States facing barriers to climate and urban finances. Madam President, Papua New Guinea underscores the importance of implementing the Sevilla Commitment for Financing for Development. Delivering on this commitment will be critical to mobilizing additional investment and accelerating progress towards sustainable urban development. We remain committed to working with UN-Habitat, the Pacific Urban Partnership, and all partners to accelerate implementation of the New Urban Agenda and ensure that our cities and communities become safe, more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable for urban generations. In conclusion, let us use this midterm review not only to assess the progress, but to strengthen the collective action of the decade ahead that improves the livelihood— lives and livelihood of our people. I thank you.

I thank the Minister for Housing of Papua New Guinea. I now give the floor to Her Excellency Sariha Moya, Minister of Economy and Finance of Ecuador.

President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, for Ecuador, this meeting has very particular meaning. 10 years ago, Quito hosted Habitat III, where the New Urban Agenda was adopted. That moment reaffirmed that urbanization, when it is properly planned and financed, can become a driver of opportunities, resilience, and shared prosperity. Since then, countries have strengthened their urban policies. Local governments have achieved greater recognition, and sustainable urbanization has been more firmly incorporated within global development and climate agendas. The priority for the next decade is to turn the progress into scaled-up implementation. With housing, infrastructure, services, capacities, and financing that cities need. Ecuador is of the opinion that the next decade should be a decade of implementation and of results, and we propose 3 priorities. First, to put people and territories at the heart of urban policy. In Ecuador, we are strengthening the link between national priorities, local planning for development, and territorial organization with the recognition that there is no single urban solution for all different realities. Metropolitan areas, intermediary cities, middle-sized cities, rural towns, and vulnerable local territories face different gaps in services, production dynamics, and levels of exposure to climate risks and disasters. And that is why decent housing needs to be conceived of as part part of a broader urban ecosystem that is connected to water and sanitation, sustainable mobility, public spaces, digital connectivity, and access to economic opportunities. For us, housing doesn't just have to be functional. It also needs to be well-designed because quality strengthens dignity. It encourages a sense of belonging, and it helps build more cohesive communities. Second, Sustainable financing. Faced with this situation, we implemented an ambitious plan to regulate the— and address the outstanding obligations without undermining the continuity of services, the public services, or the sustainability of the national finances. As a result of this effort, we have considerably reduced these delays, and now local governments have greater predictability in organizing their resources and in having a greater impact in their local areas. At the same time, we have attracted sustainable financing, such as, for example, through the Miti-Miti program, through which the government subsidizes part of the mortgage interest rate, reducing monthly payments and expanding families' access to affordable, resilient housing and strengthening family self-sufficiency. To support this program, we enjoy the support of an innovative financial structure which mobilized $500 million US dollars and made it possible to combine public resources, private resources, and to expand the provision of mortgage credit and to increase the impact of public investment. Third, strengthen multilevel governance, institutional capacity, and territorial and local resilience. In Ecuador, the National Territorial Strategy, which is linked to the National Development Plan, guides public policy and investment in accordance with needs, gaps, and potential of each territory, while local plans turn those priorities into decisions related to land use, infrastructure, and services. In this spirit, Ecuador is pleased to host the Forum for the Localization of the SDGs, or as it was previously called, the International Forum of Mayors, from the 29th of September to the 1st of October, 2026. I warmly invite the authorities, multilateral institutions, and partners here present to join us in Ecuador to exchange practical solutions and to strengthen cooperation for sustainable urban development. The New Urban Agenda was adopted in Quito. This was a milestone that Ecuador very much values. Its legacy can be seen in implementation— dignity in the home, security in one's neighborhood and reliable services, and Ecuador will continue to work to make this vision a reality. Thank you very much.

I thank the Minister of Economy and Finance of Ecuador. I now give the floor to His Excellency Slaven Radunovic, Minister of Special Planning, Urbanism, and State Property of Montenegro.

Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, 10 years after its adoption, we have an opportunity to assess the progress achieved, recognize the remaining challenges, and define our shared priorities for the decade ahead. This process is closely linked to the achievement of SDG 11, which calls upon us to make cities and human settlements safe, healthy, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. As a country undergoing dynamic urban development, Montenegro recognizes that sustainable development cannot be achieved without careful spatial planning, affordable housing, quality infrastructure, and environmental protection. Therefore, Montenegro is actively strengthening its policies in the fields of spatial planning, sustainable urban development, and community resilience, aligned with the principles of the New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Agenda. In this regard, I would like to highlight the Veli Ebrdo project, or in English, Big Hill Project, in Podgorica, conceived as a response to growing housing affordability challenges and the need to guide urbanization in a planned, inclusive, and sustainable manner. Its primary objective is to provide affordable housing opportunities for tens of thousands of citizens, particularly young families and other social groups for whom the market conditions of housing are becoming less and less accessible. We believe that this approach offers an effective response to many of the challenges facing cities worldwide today, from affordable housing and social inequalities to climate change and the need to build more resilient communities. Montenegro remains firmly committed to the principles of the New Urban Agenda and the achievement of SDG 11. We believe that the cities of the future must be places of equal opportunity, affordable housing, climate resilience, and a high quality of life for all citizens. We will therefore continue to develop people-centered urban policies, strengthen sustainable spatial governance, and contribute to creating greener, more inclusive, and more resilient communities. We are convinced that through collective action, we can accelerate the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and realize a vision of cities that by 2036 will be more sustainable, more equitable, and better prepared for the challenges of the future. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the Minister of Special Planning, Urbanism, and State Property of Montenegro. I now give the floor to His Excellency Majid Abdullah Al-Hogail, Minister of Municipalities and Housing of Saudi Arabia.

Thank you.

Mr. President, Your Excellencies, the ministers, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, may God's peace be upon you. It gives me pleasure to represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in this high-level meeting and to convey to you the greetings of our wise government, expressing our deep appreciation for the efforts of the United Nations in organizing this important review that represents a vital transformation point towards more resilient and more sustainable cities. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to the system of review and follow-up according to the New Urban Agenda. In this context, We provided our first national report in 2022, in which we documented the basis on of which we the basis that we used for the urban transformation. And we are today about to submit our report for 2026 to UN Habitat. This represents our transformation from planning to policy and to in. Implementation by expanding impact on the ground. Since 2016, the Kingdom followed a transformational pathway according to Vision 2036, in which we are in line with the new vision for urban development and in line with Agenda 2020. This vision is an overall vision for urban life, for affordable housing, in which we take human development as the cornerstone of our development policies. The kingdom was able to move from 47.1 in 2026 to 67. 6 in 2025, and more than 25% of Saudi families were able to benefit from the, uh, from the plan. Uh, the per capita share from— of public spaces was increased from 5.2 to 6.9 and 20— 12 square meters, which means that we were able to provide transportation for over 100,000 citizens. At the level of social inclusiveness, the participation by women in the labor force was increased from 22.7% to 36%, and the employment of persons with disabilities doubled. NGOs and nonprofits rose from 270 to However, we still believe that there are some challenges that require more work, including the independence of local institutions and integrating climate challenges within the tools of local planning, particularly given the fact that our cities are impacted by the rise in temperatures. In our next plan in '26 to '32, we would like to increase inclusiveness by giving priorities to the human dignity and by, by following the parameters of our policy and by implementing urban development and developing national priorities. Moving from planning to implementation would not have have achieved— been achieved without national and international partnerships. We have more than 56 partnership agreements with the private sector in support of the services, and the government and private companies have invested highly in urban development projects. We today would like to express our commitment to develop these partners, including strategic partnerships with Habitat for 2024 to 2027, so that we can build urban governance. And we issued green bonds valued at $9.1 billion in 2024, and we hope that we will be able to issue over $10 billion by 2026. Our governance experience would be the basis of our social development planning. Thank you for your good attention.

I thank the Minister of Municipalities and Housing of Saudi Arabia. I now give the floor to His Excellency Ngah Kor Ming, Minister of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia.

Thank you, Mr. President. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, Malaysia is honored to address this high-level meeting on the midterm review of the New Urban Agenda. As a rapidly developing nation, nearly 78% of Malaysia's population are now urban, generating approximately 75% of the national GDP. As cities continue to shape the future of our societies, strengthening sustainable and inclusive urban development is no longer a choice, it is imperative. Malaysia remains steadfast in its commitment to the new urban agenda, guided by our Malaysia Madani framework under the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. This vision balances economic development with dignity, ethical governance, and inclusivity. Distinguished delegates, sustainable cities are not built overnight. They evolve through commitment to planned-led development. In Malaysia, We say, sikit-sikit, lama-lama, jadi bukit. It means that brick by brick, layer by layer, a mountain eventually is formed. With this long-term vision in mind, allow me to share Malaysia's core advancements across 3 critical pillars. First, empowering statutory urban governance through data-driven measurement. Sustainable urbanization cannot be achieved through policy declarations alone. It needs robust legal frameworks. We have eliminated policy fragmentation by establishing a seamless hierarchy from our national physical plans down to parcel-level local plans. To drive evidence-based action, we deployed MuniNet 2.0 network. This framework standardises dozens of indicators, allowing 156 local councils to be assessed against urban sustainability and SDG benchmark under the single unified national framework. Second, delivering affordable housing and social inclusion. Under the 12 Malaysia Plan, we successfully delivered over 1.1 million affordable homes, securing a national homeownership rate up to 77%. This remains a core priority under the 13th Malaysia Plan 2026 to 2030, where affordable housing and transit-oriented development will be aggressively prioritised to lift up low-income vulnerable households, ensuring urban development is fair and equitable. Third, championing green, resilient, and circular cities. Our cities face acute climate threats, from severe flooding to urban heat islands. In response, Malaysia delivered 216 Madani recreational parks between 2024 and 2025, whereby benefiting over 3.2 million residents. We have now formally pledged to construct at least 1,000 new public parks by 2035. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, rapid growth inevitably brings complex challenges. To dismantle institutional data silos, Malaysia is embracing agile predictive urban planning through the Malaysia Urban Observatory, MUO. As a proud new member of UN-Habitats Global, Urban Observatory Network, the MUO stands ready to contribute our data insights to the global stage. In collaboration with UN-Habitat, Malaysia recently launched and convened the Asia-Pacific Urban Agenda Platform at the 13th World Urban Forum in Baku, May 2026, bringing together 58 member states. The platform provides a unified framework to strengthen regional collaboration, break down silos, and translate dialogue into meaningful and impactful action. We look forward to hosting a dedicated regional gathering of the Asia-Pacific Urban Platform in KL this August. Excellencies, true urban resilience goes beyond bricks and It is about safeguarding human life, livelihood, and awful opportunities. To accelerate the new urban agenda, Malaysia hereby calls for 3 collective actions. First, scale up investment in climate resilience infrastructure. Malaysia has now had 500—

Thank you.

I thank the Minister of Housing. I thank the Minister of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia. I now give the floor to His Excellency Anar Guliyev, Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning. and architecture of Azerbaijan.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, 10 years after the adoption of the New Urban Agenda, we are not simply reviewing past achievements. Today we must define our priorities for the decade ahead. The challenge before us is to accelerate implementation and translate global commitments into tangible improvements in people's lives. With nearly 60% of its population living in urban areas, Azerbaijan recognizes urbanization as a strategic driver of sustainable development. The principles of the New Urban Agenda have been integrated into our national development framework, particularly the Azerbaijan 2030 National Priorities, which place social well-being, and inclusive society, a competitive economy, and green growth at the centre of national policy. Over the past decade, we have transformed urban planning into a strategic instrument for integrated development. As part of an ongoing nationwide process to update urban planning documents, 68 out of 79 cities are now covered by new-generation master plans that integrate housing, transport, infrastructure, public services, resources, climate resilience, and economic development within a single territorial vision. The Baku City Master Plan 2040 reflects this approach by promoting a transition from a monocentric to a polycentric urban model, creating a more accessible, resilient, and livable capital. Housing remains one of our highest priorities. Through affordable housing programs, preferential mortgage mechanisms, and integrated urban development, We continue expanding access to adequate housing, particularly for young families. Perhaps the most comprehensive application of the New Urban Agenda is taking place in the liberated territories of Karabakh and East Zangezur. Under the state program on the Great Return, Azerbaijan is applying a building back better approach through a comprehensive master planning that integrates housing, infrastructure, public services, renewable energy, and smart cities. city-smart village solutions. So far, around 90,000 people have returned to live, work, and study in these territories. Our experience has shown that urban recovery is not only about rebuilding cities. It is about restoring communities, creating opportunities, and laying the foundations for lasting peace and sustainable development. Climate resilience is equally central to our urban policies. Green construction, energy-efficient building, buildings, sustainable mobility, and digital governance are becoming integral elements of urban development. At COP29, Azerbaijan launched the MAP, Multisectoral Action Pathways for Resilient and Healthy Cities, while the Baku Continuity Coalition strengthens the cooperation between the global climate and the urban agendas. In partnership with UN-Habitat, we are also advancing the development of Azerbaijan National Urban policy, reinforcing a long-term integrated approach to sustainable urbanization. Earlier this year, Azerbaijan had the honor of hosting WUF-13, the largest World Urban Forum to date. The Forum reaffirmed our shared commitment to integrated planning, adequate housing, multilevel governance, and stronger partnership as reflected in the Baku Call to Action. Excellencies, our experience over the past decade has confirmed one important lesson: Sustainable urbanization requires more than good plans. It requires political leadership, long-term investment, strong institutions, and effective partnerships. This conviction is reflected in the decision of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan to declare 2026 the Year of Urban Planning and Architecture, reaffirming our commitment to further strengthening the foundations of sustainable urban development. We also remain committed to advancing the global housing agenda through our co-chairmanship of the UN-Habitat Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Adequate Housing for All. As we look towards 2036, Azerbaijan stands ready not only to continue implementing the New Urban Agenda nationally, but also to strengthen international cooperation, share practical experience, and contribute to global implementation, building on the outcomes of WOF13 and the Baku Call to Action. Finally, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to UN-Habitat and in particular to Executive Director Ms. Ana Cláudia Rosbach for the close cooperation and partnership we have built over the years. I thank you.

I thank the Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan. I now give the floor To Her Excellency Amna Al-Rumaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning of Bahrain.

I'm in her room. In the name of God, the Compassionate and the Merciful. Your Excellency, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, may God's peace be upon you. At the outset, it gives me pleasure to express thanks to the United Nations Organization and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme for organizing this meeting, which represents an important opportunity to take stock of the progress achieved in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and promoting and global action to build more resilient and more inclusive cities. The commitment by the Kingdom of Bahrain with sustainable urban development is based on a national course that started in the '60s of the last century, where we attached great importance to providing adequate housing in cities because we believe that housing is a basis for family stability and a drive for economic and social development. Housing is one of the indicators of good living standards. This has been reflected in our constitution that guaranteed a citizen's right to housing, and this is a legislative right on which our policies were based over the past decades. The adoption of the New Urban Agenda promotes this national approach and provides an international framework that supports the development of policies, the exchange of expertise, and the alignment between national and international commitments. The government, under the guidance by His Royal Highness King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the chairmanship of Crown Prince Salman bin Khalifa, who both instructed us to expedite the urban units by providing 50,000 housing units as a national program to build urban societies. We did not only provide more housing, but we also adopted the development of integrated urban development. The city of Salman and the city of Khalifa, as well as Al-Hidd, city and other cities represent this approach. These cities were, were designed as integrated societies that provide housing, education, healthcare, municipal services, as well as welfare and interactive activities so that we arrive at providing life that is more sustainable and more resistant We also try to provide— to safeguard our historic cities as part of our national plan. We try to preserve the urban tradition and improving the infrastructure and improving the life structures. Therefore, partnerships with the private sector is one of the basic tenets of our policies. The private sector is our partner in promoting housing opportunities, and therefore we, we, we expanded the urban housing by developing the housing on the basis of government-owned lands. We provided more options to expedite housing services and to decrease waiting lists. Those programs included over 22,000 families and we reduced by 17% waiting lists. The Kingdom of Bahrain would like to stress that the coming era requires promoting integration between urban planning, housing innovation, and digital transformation, in addition to expanding partnerships with the private sector, which enables cities to respond to challenges and increases life standards. The Kingdom would like to stress the importance of furthering international cooperation, exchange of expertise, and supporting efforts by Human Habitat to expedite the implementation of the new plan and translating its objectives into tangible objectives that achieve sustainable development of communities.

Thank you.

I thank the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning of Bahrain. I now give the floor to His Excellency Benson Malunga Phiri, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development of Malawi.

Your Excellencies, Malawi associates itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of Group 77 and China. A decade after the adoption of the New Urban Agenda, this midterm review offers a timely opportunity to assess our collective achievements learn from experiences, and renew our collective resolve to accelerate implementation over the remaining decade to 2036. For Malawi, urbanization is both a challenge and a catalyst for sustainable development. Although only 20% of our population currently reside in urban areas. Our towns and cities are expanding at an unprecedented pace. This rapid growth has increased pressure on housing, infrastructure, and essential services, with 70% of our urban population living in informal settlements. In response, Malawi has made urban— Malawi has made sustainable urbanization a national development priority under the Malawi 2063 Vision. The strategy has proposed the development of secondary cities to promote territorial development. This will create points throughout the country and improve rural-urban linkages to ensure the benefits of urbanization are spread to rural areas. Government has embraced decentralization to empower local government authorities to ensure that they have capacity to implement urban development programs which are key to achieving all SDGs, the New Urban Agenda, and Malawi 2063. Your Excellencies, Malawi is convinced that the coming decade must be defined by decisive implementation. This requires investment in affordable housing, resilient infrastructure, basic urban services, and the upgrading of informal settlements. Achieving these objectives will require strong collaboration among national and local governments, the private sector, the civil society, communities, and other development partners. In recognition of this, Malawi partnered with the Habitat for Humanity Malawi, service providers, and the local government authority in slum upgrading intervention, which resulted in the transformation of an informal settlement in the city of Lilongwe. Equally important, it is important to access development countries to climate finance, technology transfer, and technical assistance to build more resilient and sustainable cities. Your Excellencies, Malawi recognizes the importance of multilateral collaboration in the implementation and achievement of local-global agendas. Malawi remains firmly committed to working with UN-Habitat and all partners to ensure that urbanization becomes a driver of inclusive growth, resilience, and prosperity, leaving no one and no place behind. I thank you for listening.

I thank The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development of Malawi. I now give the floor to His Excellency Sharzod Kurbyev, Chairman of the National Committee for Sustainable Urban Development and Housing of Uzbekistan.

Distinguished President, colleagues, representatives of UN-Habitat, ladies and gentlemen, it is a great honor for me to speak before you today and to share with my colleagues Uzbekistan's experience in sustainable urban development and housing, an experience that in recent years has taken on a truly systemic and large-scale character. Today, the level of urbanization in Uzbekistan has reached 51%. In 1999, this figure was only 40%. Out of the country's 39 million residents, about 20 million live in cities. But for us, this is not solely a statistic. It is a deliberate development strategy. The President of Uzbekistan has repeatedly emphasized that every additional percentage point of urbanization generates at at least 1 percentage point of economic growth. This reflects the direct link between investment inflows, business development, labor productivity growth, and urban development. That is why we view urbanization as not only a side effect of economic growth but as one of its main drivers. Our long-term goals are ambitious yet realistic. By 2040, our population is going to grow from 39 to 50 million people with the level of urbanization rising from 51% to 65%. We see this as a unique opportunity for balanced territorial development. Allow me to share a few figures that best illustrate the dynamics of our efforts. Since 2016, annual housing construction volumes in the country have grown tenfold. Last year alone, approximately 238,000 housing units were commissioned, and by By 2030, we plan to increase this figure by a further 1.5 times. Over the past 8 years, 120 million square meters of housing have been put into operation, representing more than 600,000 apartments and homes for our citizens. Over 540,000 families have received preferential mortgage loans and subsidies totaling more than $8.5 billion. Construction sector has become one of the key drivers of the national economy. The government allocates approximately $2 billion annually to affordable housing programs, recognizing that providing high-quality, affordable housing for young people and for those in need is not only a social task but a strategic economic one as well. Our strategy places particular emphasis on shifting from the extensive expansion of cities toward their qualitative renewal. We plan to increase the share of dilapidated housing renovation in total construction from 15% to 60%. This represents a fundamental shift. Instead of developing new land, we're focusing on renewing the existing urban fabric, preserving agricultural land, and reducing the burden on infrastructure. The flagship example of this new approach is the New Tashkent project, built on the principles of a green, smart, safe 15-minute city. Today, investment projects worth more than $25 billion are being implemented within its framework. To systematically manage these processes, a dedicated government body has been established in the country, the National Committee for Urbanization and Sustainable Housing Market Development, responsible for the phased increase in the volume and quality of housing construction. Distinguished colleagues, we fully understand the scale of the global challenge facing our community. Today, nearly 3 billion people worldwide lack adequate housing conditions. More than 1 billion live in informal settlements and slums, and 300 million have no roof over their heads at all. Climate change, migration processes, and economic crises are only making this problem more acute. Recent experience demonstrates that even within a relatively short period, it's possible to achieve a multifold increase in the pace of housing construction, a qualitative transformation of the urban environment, and a shift in urbanization from a source of problems to an engine of sustainable economic growth. We are convinced that this is not a challenge that must be avoided but an opportunity to be skillfully managed. We are open to close cooperation with UN-Habitat and all partner states, and we are ready to exchange our experience knowledge, and expertise in pursuit of our shared goal: sustainable, comfortable, and equitable cities of the future. Thank you.

Thank you.

I thank the Chairman of the National Committee for Sustainable Urban Development and Housing of Uzbekistan. I now give the floor to His Excellency Onetseh Ramogapi, Minister of Water and Human Settlement Mr.

President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, Botswana would like to associate itself with the statement made by Uruguay, made on behalf of G77, plus China. Botswana welcomes the convening of this important high-level midterm review of the New Urban Agenda and reaffirms its commitment to building inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements for all. The implementation of the New Urban Agenda in Botswana is anchored in our 12th National Development Plan and the Botswana Economic Transformation Program, these frameworks promote a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach that integrates housing, infrastructure, economic development, environmental sustainability, and governance into a coherent pathway for sustainable urbanization. Mr. President, within this framework, housing is not viewed as a standalone intervention. But as a catalyst for inclusive urban development. Through the Bonno National Housing Program, Botswana aims to deliver 100,000 housing units over the next 3 years. Housing delivery is being integrated with planned urban expansion, efficient land use, access to basic services, and economic opportunities. To create complete and functional communities. At the same time, we are reviewing key policy instruments, including the National Policy on Housing, the Decentralization Policy, and the Town and Country Planning Act, to strengthen integrated urban development. Despite our progress, challenges remain, including limited access to affordable housing, finance, rising land costs, infrastructure constraints, and unemployment, particularly among young people. In response, Botswana is shifting from social protection towards economic empowerment through tailored programs that promote skills development, entrepreneurship, and job creation, ensuring that our cities become engines of inclusive, uh, growth. Environmental sustainability and climate resilience remain central to our urban agenda, guided by our 2024 National Determined Contribution. We continue investing in sustainable infrastructure, water management, disaster preparedness, and low-carbon, uh, systems. Mr. President, we are also advancing digital transformation through expanded broadband connectivity. To date, I'm happy to announce that 1,138 villages' internet connection points have been established, established, improving access to public services, economic opportunities, and digital inclusion across rural and peri-urban communities. Mr. President, allow me to conclude by saying Botswana remains firmly committed to the New Urban Agenda. Through integrated planning, inclusive policies, and strengthened partnerships, we are confident that we can build resilient, equitable, and sustainable urban communities while ensuring that no one and no place is left behind. Thank you so much. I submit.

I thank the Minister of Water and Human Settlement of Botswana. I now give the floor to Her Excellency Lisa Raming, Minister of Urban Renewal and Community Relations of the Bahamas.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the Bahamas aligns itself with the statement delivered by the distinguished representative of UAGA on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and the statement to be delivered by the distinguished representative of PALAU on behalf of Alliance of Small Island States. As a Small Island Developing state of more than 700 islands and cays, the Bahamas knows that sustainable urbanization is essential to national resilience and development, with nearly 89.9% of our population living in urban communities in the Bahamas. Since the adoption of the New Urban Agenda in 2016, the Bahamas has made steady progress by integrating climate resilience into urban planning, strengthening sustainable building standards, promoting renewable energy and water-efficient infrastructure. One of our most significant achievements has been the establishment of the Urban Renewal Authority, where it gained its legal framework by the enactment of the Urban Renewal Authority Act 2024, which came into force the 1st of January 2025. The Act provided for a hold of government and a whole-of-society approach by bringing together government agencies, local authorities, civil society, faith-based organizations, and the private sector. For the Bahamas, the New Urban Agenda is more than a global framework. It is a call to action that recognizes that sustainable urban development must begin with people, particularly with those who are most vulnerable. The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Honourable Philip Brave Davis, has taken this new urban agenda and call to action seriously by taking the bold step of creating a single ministry that focused particularly on the urban plight, urban development, inner-city development, among other important engagements. This ministry is called the Ministry of Urban Renewal and Community Relations. This ministry came into effect following his historic reelection in May 2026. This would have been the first 2-term president— Prime Minister in the Bahamas, first time in the last 25 years. And I'm proud to say that I am the first to have been entrusted with this ministry as the Minister for Urban Renewal and Community Relations. Urban renewal existed in the Bahamas for 24 years, always as a subset of other substantive ministries, but today it stands alone and its focus is to ensure that seniors, persons living with disabilities can live safely and independently, expanding access to clean water and sanitation to the vulnerable residents of our communities, improving housing conditions. It invests in communities and provides opportunities for our youth. youth, ensuring no man is left behind. Urban Renewal in the Bahamas, through its Small Home Repair Program, repaired some 900 homes for the past 5 years, spending some $11 million. The midterm review provides an opportunity not only to take stock of our progress but also to accelerate implementation over the decade ahead. The 2022 Census Disability Report in the Bahamas, which was recently released, indicated that 38,551 persons living in the Bahamas had at least one disability between the ages of 5 and older. The ministry, although recently established, has wasted no time by ensuring the policies excluded no one and inclusivity, because our design agenda for urban impact is so important. Many homes in the urban areas have been assessed with the end plan of erecting ramps and railings for those who are disabled, also outfitting their bathrooms with fixtures to ensure their mobility are seamless. Partnerships will remain essential. We confirm our commitment to working with UN-Habitat, CARICOM, the Inter-American Development Bank, and other development partners to mobilize technical expertise, innovative financing, and acknowledging sharing the response. As we look towards 2036, the Bahamas stands ready to work with all partners to accelerate implementation of the New Urban Agenda. Together, let us ensure that the promise of the New Urban Agenda becomes a lived reality for every citizen in every community and in every nation. Thank you.

I thank the Minister of Urban Renewal and Community Relations of the Bahamas. I now give the floor to His Excellency Owen Bonici, Minister for Accommodation and Lands of Malta.

Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished guests, Malta welcomes this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to the New Urban Agenda and to the shared Sustainable Development Goal of creating inclusive, safe, sustainable, and resilient settlements and cities. For us, housing is more than a physical structure. It is a foundation for dignity, for well-being, for opportunity, for improved quality of life, and for social cohesion. As one of the most densely populated countries in Europe, Malta understands the importance of balancing urban development, responsible land stewardship, and the housing needs of present and future generations. Ensuring access to adequate and affordable housing remains a national priority. Malta continues to provide social accommodation, rental support, assistance to first-time buyers, and targeted schemes that support vulnerable households in accessing suitable housing solutions. These measures reflect our commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind and that housing remains accessible to those most in need. We also recognize that addressing housing challenges requires strong partnerships. We believe that public institutions, local councils, and civil societies can and should work together to expand social and affordable housing opportunities for individuals and families who face difficulties in various degrees in accessing the property market. Initiatives such as those reflect our belief that sustainable development is built on solidarity, inclusion, and shared responsibility. Our commitment is further reinforced through Malta Vision 2050, which provides a long-term national framework centered on sustainable development, social cohesion, and quality of life. Within this vision, housing is recognized as a key pillar of well-being and inclusion. We want to shape Malta's long-term conversation on housing, ensuring that the needs of young people, families, older persons, and vulnerable groups remain at the centre of future policy development. Distinguished guests, Your Excellencies, as we review progress under the New Urban Agenda, Malta reaffirms its conviction that access to adequate housing is fundamental to dignity, opportunity, and resilience. Guided by Malta Vision 2050, Malta remains committed to advancing affordable housing, social inclusion, and sustainable communities for present and future generations. Because yes, small island states can lead and can push forward the concept of people-centered cities, which remain places of culture, of technology, of opportunity, and of dignity, of inclusion, where no one is left behind. We stand ready to continue sharing our experiences and working with international partners to advance the goals of the New Urban Agenda and build more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable futures. The midterm review is not about measuring how far we have come. It is about deciding how far we are prepared to go. The New Urban Agenda has given us the roadmap. It is now our collective responsibility to deliver on it with urgency, ambition, and results. Thank you so much.

I thank the Minister for Accommodation and Lands of Malta. I now give the floor to Her Excellency Thembi Simelane, Minister of Human Settlements of South Africa.

President of the United Nations General Assembly, honorable ministers, excellencies, the executive Director of the UN Habitat, distinguished delegates, it is an honor for me on behalf of South Africa to address this high-level political meeting convened to review progress in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and to recommit our countries for a renewed sense of agency to accelerate the achievement of the transformation or transformative commitments we made in in 2016. South Africa aligns itself with the statement made by Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China. We believe the New Urban Agenda reflects our shared interest, commitments to sustainable urban development, and aspirations of our people for inclusive, resilient, and vibrant cities. As part of the global stocktaking process, South Africa submitted its second national report on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, which assesses progress made on our first report, highlighting persistent challenges but equally identifying priority actions required to accelerate implementation. The report reflects our national efforts and reaffirms our commitment to effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 11. We commit notably also the progress in implementing our commitments through the comprehensive policy frameworks. Our National Development Plan covering 2012 to 2030 guides on sustainable development, while our Integrated Urban Development Framework adopted 2016 has concretized policies for inclusive and resilient cities centered on human advancement. The IUDF is further underpinned by the target efforts of driving equitable urban transformation. Key policy instruments like the White Paper on Local Government and the White Paper on Human Settlements have been reviewed to enhance service delivery, accountability, and and responsiveness to the realities of rapid urbanization. The White Paper on Human Settlements provides for progressive policy foundation for creating sustainable, inclusive, and equitable communities, whilst the White Paper on Local Government brings the foundational policy mandate for local government system, which provides and ensures that there's a framework for South Africa to deliver on the urban transformation agenda. Recognizing that informal settlements remain one of the greatest urban challenges, South Africa has expanded its informal settlement upgrading program. We're undertaking proactive approach to improving planning, strengthening tenure of security, and accelerating and upgrading of interventions. These interventions are aligned with renewed commitments contained in the draft political declaration, particularly the shared goals to advance social inclusion, to ensure that we stick to the commitment of realization of basic human rights, accelerate transformation of informal settlements and slums, which will help us to ensure to restore human dignity. South Africa is unwavering in its resolve to the implementation and the outcomes of the African Urban Forum. The priorities outlined there ensures that we, like many other countries across our continent, continue to experience the effects of rapid urbanization and the complex challenges associated with human mobility. Addressing these challenges requires integrated inclusive, and forward-looking approach to ensure that no one is left behind. We remain firmly committed to the principle of international solidarity, human dignity, and the rule of law. Excellencies, as we look beyond this midterm review, South Africa reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the full implementation of the New Agenda— New Urban Agenda. We remain committed to strengthen the partnership at the national, regional, and global levels, and stand ready to work with the member states, UN-Habitat, and all stakeholders to build inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements for the present and the future generations to come. I thank you for your attention.

Thank you.

I thank the Minister of Human Settlements of South Africa. I now give the floor to His Excellency Ahmad Sohel Monzur, State Minister for Housing and Public Works, Government of Bangladesh.

A very good afternoon. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen, I thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this important review on UN-Habitat for its continued leadership in advancing the New Urban Agenda. As we reach the midpoint towards 2036, the meeting offers an important opportunity to assess progress, address challenges, and strengthen partnerships to accelerate sustainable urbanization. Bangladesh is one of the fastest urbanizing countries in the world, We view urbanization as a driving driver of economic growth, social inclusion, and climate resilience. Guided by our Prime Minister Tarek Rahman's Bangladesh Fast Principle, we have placed planned urbanization, affordable housing, balanced regional development, and empowered local governance at the heart of our development strategy, fully aligned with the New Urban Agenda and the SDGs. Since the adoption of the New Urban Agenda in 2016, Bangladesh has made sufficient progress. The new Spatial Planning Act has strengthened coordinated territorial planning. Major housing and urban development initiatives are improving connectivity, infrastructures, and access to affordable housing and basic services. Housing remains a cornerstone of our national development agenda. Through public investment, private sector participation, affordable housing incentive, and community upgrading programs, we are working to expand access to adequate housing, secure land tenure, and basic urban services. Most importantly, we remain committed to leave no one behind, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, low-income households, migrants, and climate-vulnerable communities. Dear colleagues, while progress has been significant, important challenges remain. Rapid urbanization continues, to strained housing, infrastructure, land, and service delivery. Financing constraints, institutional capacity gaps, climate vulnerability, and informal settlements require stronger partnerships and greater investment. Looking ahead, Bangladesh focuses on 3 priority areas to achieving the objectives of the New Urban Agenda. First, Bangladesh plans to strengthen integrated spatial planning, digital land management, land banking, participatory governance, innovative urban financing, and the capacity of local governments. We are also exploring innovative urban financing mechanisms and strengthening the fiscal capacity of local authorities. To better plan, finance, and manage urban development. Secondly, Bangladesh aims to promote balanced regional development by strengthening regional growth centers as competitive economic hubs and expanding opportunities in coastal, harbor, and northern regions. By fostering development beyond major metropolitan areas, we plan to reduce territorial disparities. Thirdly, Bangladesh will accelerate climate-responsive and resource-efficient urban development through our NDC 3.0, National Adaptation Plan, Delta Plan 2100, the HBRI-Green Building Certification System, and a national green building policy framework. These are targeted to promote energy-efficient, low-carbon, and climate-resilient buildings. We are also investing in digital transformation and data-driven urban management towards planning, service delivery, transparency, and accountability. Dear friends, Bangladesh highly values partnerships with UN-Habitat, UNEP, UNOPS, UN-SCAP, The World Bank and the other development partners, we reaffirm our commitment to South and Triangular cooperation, technology transfer, capacity development, and innovative financing, particularly for local governments.

I thank the State Minister for Housing and Public Works, Excellencies, we have heard the last speaker for this meeting. We shall hear the remaining speakers this afternoon at 3 PM in this hall. The meeting is adjourned.