Weekly Urban News Update
In This Update

A1Habitat III Informal Hearings with Stakeholders

Next week, the United Nations in New York City will be hosting two days of hearings for non-governmental stakeholders on Habitat III and the zero draft of the New Urban Agenda. The two days of informal hearings will serve as a place for civil society and other stakeholders to give " feedback on the conclusions of the Habitat III Policy Units and the Regional and Thematic meetings." 

Registration for the hearings is now closed, but the whole event will be broadcast live on UN Web TV.

You can view an provisional agenda for the hearings here, and learn more about the process here.

Running in parallel to the informal hearings, the online dialogue on the New Urban Agenda is still open. All are encouraged to provide specific feedback on the draft Agenda. 

The dialogue is divided into two broad sections, comments on the Transformative Commitments for a Sustainable Urban Development and comments on the means of Effective Implementation. We encourage all stakeholders to engage in the dialogue process here.  
Cities and metropolitan areas are major generators of economic opportunity. However, cities continue to face increasing challenges to grow inclusively; top-line growth has not necessarily delivered bottom-line prosperity.

Please join the Brookings Institution and the National League of Cities for a discussion with Ángel Gurría, Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), on their Inclusive Growth in Cities Campaign to increase awareness of rising inequality, refocus the debate on concrete solutions, and empower local governments as leaders in the transition towards more inclusive growth. A  panel discussion will follow, featuring a discussion among cross-sectoral leaders implementing inclusive growth strategies across the United States.

WHEN: Thursday June 16th, 9 - 10:30 AM EDT
WHERE: Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium
1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW

Find more information and RSVP here. The event will also be webcast. 
A4
Ford Foundation Urban Breakfasts for Civil Society Stakeholder Consultations

In conjunction with the Habitat III informal hearings next week, the Ford Foundation will be hosting as series of breakfasts  to discuss the critical, cross-cutting issues that must be addressed in any successful agenda. 

The meetings will all take place at the Ford Foundation Headquarters in New York City, and will focus on a different topic each day including the work of the General Assembly of Partners (GAP), Children and Youth, Gender, and Implementation. 

WHEN: June 6th, 7th, 8th and 10th, 8 - 10 AM
WHERE: Ford Foundation 
320 East 43rd Street, New York, NY

Find more information about the topics and register for any and all of the breakfasts here
A2UNDP Releases Draft Guidance on Displacement 

Similar to the guidance released by USAID (and reported in the weekly update last week), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) released guidance late last week on best practices for assessing and implementing involuntary displacement and resettlement projects. 

The guidance, now out in draft form for comment, focuses more on assessing the need for involuntary displacement than the USAID guidance, and lays out specific requirements for assessments. 

The guidance also provides tables summarizing expectations for both physical and economic displacement for each level of tenure. IHC is pleased to see that lack of tenure and informality do not significantly block residents from benefiting from the guidance. Similar to the USAID guidance, consultation and meaningful engagement are prioritized throughout the document, though IHC w ould have liked to see the means of engagement spelled out more fully. 

UNDP is seeking comment on the draft until June 30, 2016. You can view the draft here and send comments directly to info.ses@undp.org.
ANIn the News and Around the Web
  • View photos of slums in Mumbai slowing growing upward here
  • Read a CitiScope article on the rise of urban refugees and what it means for cities and humanitarian aid here
  • Read a blog post from the World Bank advocating that addressing climate change in cities must be connected to a new green economy here
  • Read a Guardian article on the unique vulnerability of Gypsy refugees from Syria living in Turkey here
More than half of today's 15 million refugees and internally displaced peoples live in cities. (C) World Bank
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