The inaugural event of the Urban 20 Engagement Group was held in Ahmedabad on February 9-10, 2023. Urban 20, or U20, is among the most influential city-level diplomacy initiatives held annually. Receiving participation from mayors and designated 'city sherpas' from the G20 cohort, the deliberations at U20 inform G20 negotiations and are integral to the broader discourse on urban development. The inaugural meeting was attended by more than 70 delegates from 42 cities -- the largest recorded attendance since the inception of U20.
It is fitting that India is anchoring the discourse on urbanisation and urban dynamics this year. Under the Modi government, India has increasingly led action on issues of global governance. One such success story has been the transformation of our urban areas which has now become a blueprint for other countries to learn from, particularly in the Global South. This year's U20 aims to shed light on the powerful implications that policies adopted by cities have on global agendas of development.
The inaugural meeting built on these themes by foregrounding the role of cities in economic prosperity and ecological harmony. Significant progress was made on developing a consensus around the six priority areas identified. The highest emphasis was given to the urgency of adopting environmentally responsible behaviours to reduce carbon footprint. Secondly, conserving water resources and providing equitable access to water assumed greater salience. Thirdly, there was acceptance that climate financing needed to be accelerated as we seek to retrofit legacy infrastructure. Fourth, it became imperative that we rethink regulatory and governance frameworks to achieve strategic targets. Fifth, the popular demand to promote local identities of cities to animate civic society was recognised. Lastly, it was deemed essential to democratise processes that champion the use of technology and data.
City representatives expressed their solidarity in taking forward this collaborative agenda. This sixth edition of the U20 has morphed into a platform that aims to equip city governments to close the gap between policy and practice by translating deliberations on urban governance into on-ground solutions. As 'Chair City' of U20, Ahmedabad led by example as it expounded on the innovations adopted in developing the Sabarmati riverfront and key features of its affordable housing policy and heritage management plan, among other reforms.
Ahmedabad encapsulates the spirit of citizen-oriented rejuvenation that India has embarked upon. In the last nine years, the Modi government has undertaken the largest planned urbanisation programme in the world, based on cooperative and competitive federalism; universalisation and saturation of basic services; technological innovation; economic opportunity; and a rural-urban continuum.
Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/india-will-show-how-developing-economies-can-tackle-global-challenges/articleshow/98238621.cms
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