OECD at the 12th World Urban Forum

​Find out more: Governance and Institutional Frameworks for Sdg11 Localization and New Urban Agenda in Asean Cities | WUF

​Description: This event will examine the key elements needed to effectively localise and implement the global frameworks of Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA)  within the unique political, social, and economic contexts of urban areas across Southeast Asia. It will address the decentralisation efforts done in many ASEAN countries have empowered local governments, as well as multi-level governance to help address the common challenges faced by ASEAN cities, such as uneven development, lack of resources, and weak institutional capacities at the local level.  

​Organisers: Urbanice Malaysia

​OECD Participation:  Tadashi Matsumoto, Head of Unit Sustainable Development and Global Relations Cities (CFE)

Find out more: 3rd Edition of the Global State of National Urban Policy Report Report Launch | WUF (unhabitat.org)

The event will launch and highlight the main findings of the report on the 3^rd edition of the Global State of National Urban Policy report, as co-developed by the OECD and UN-Habitat, showcasing key trends, country experiences and cross-cutting thematic topics, with this year’s edition special focus on urban resilience and urban housing. It will trigger a discussion on the role of NUPs in addressing global challenges, with high-level representatives of national governments, international organisations and development partners and disseminate the report to policymakers and practitioners to localise impacts of NUPs.

Organisers: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) & UN-Habitat

OECD Participation: Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Director of the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE);  Aziza Akhmouch, Head of the OECD Division on Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development (CFE)

Find out more: Financing Localization and Localizing Finance at the 12th Urban Forum | WUF (unhabitat.org)

This event will focus on the challenges local governments face in accessing public and private sector finance for sustainable urban development. Featuring insights from the OECD, offering global comparison of revenue-raising and access to financing in municipalities, the Inter-American Development Bank, Lincoln Institute, and UN Habitat’s Global Land Tools Network. The event will highlight innovative strategies, that have proven effective in overcoming obstacles faced by local governments in accessing both public and private sector finance for local development initiatives, exploring the role of revenue raising in municipalities, land value capture, local fiscal management, accountability, and transparency in unlocking access to private finance for the SDGs.

Organisers: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

OECD Participation: Isabelle Chatry, Head of Unit, Center for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions, and Cities (CFE)

Find out more: Evaluating National Urban Policies. Partnerships for Impactful Local Action | WUF (unhabitat.org)

With the increasing urbanisation rates national governments have been encouraged to develop and implement National Urban Policies (NUPs), which are considered vital tool and coordinating frameworks to manage urbanization process in an inclusive, resilient and sustainable way. However, their effectiveness remains elusive, leading to concerns in delivery of public policy. Monitoring and evaluation to identify efficacy and effectiveness has therefore become even more complex and pressing.

Organisers: UN-Habitat

OECD Participation: David Burgalassi, Economist – Urban Systems (CFE)

This meeting is part of the activities of the G20 Platform on Platform on SDG Localisation and Intermediary Cities (G20 PLIC). It will focus on Upper Egypt, one of territories studied under G20 PLIC’s work on intermediary cities. It builds on and complements the discussion from the expert meeting that took place in Ripple Summit organized by AAST Entrepreneurship Centre (ASSTEC), in September 2024, where different actors from Upper Egypt’s innovation ecosystem discussed about the challenges and priorities for consolidating this region’s ecosystem. In this occasion, the discussion will focus on the role of national and sub-national authorities to promote the development of Upper Egypt’s innovation ecosystem, as well as the factors required for unleashing food-tech in its intermediary cities.

Organisers: OECD Development Centre and UN-Habitat Egypt

OECD participation: Vicente Ruiz and Vasiliki Mavroeidi, Economists, OECD Development Centre

Find out more: Learning from Sdgs localization efforts to shape the post-2030 Agenda | WUF (unhabitat.org)

The event will launch an OECD-UN-Habitat initiative to review, take stock and draw lessons from nearly a decade of SDG localisation efforts, providing guidance for cities, regions, and countries to accelerate SDG implementation by 2030. It will focus on policies, financing, data, and stakeholder engagement, while shaping the post-2030 agenda to strengthen SDG localization.

Organisers: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) & UN-Habitat

OECD Participation: Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Director of the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE) ; Aziza Akhmouch, Head of the OECD Division on Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development (CFE) ; Stefano Marta, Head of Unit, Smart and Sustainable Cities (CFE)

Find out more: Global and Regional urban data to address sustainable urbanization at all levels | WUF (unhabitat.org)

This training event offers basic knowledge to analyse human settlements and the process of urbanisation with geospatial data and information systems, aiming to transfer competences for data-driven monitoring of urban development with data and indicators produced at OECD and the Joint Research Centre (Global Human Settlement Layer). The objective is to train participants to use the open and free data and tools developed by the European Commission (JRC) to support policy makers, city leaders, practitioners, researchers, and local communities.

Organisers: European Commission’s Joint Research Centre

OECD Participation: Claudia Baranzelli, Coordinator OECD Geospatial Lab (CFE) ; Moderation by Rudiger Ahrend, Head of Division: Economic Analysis, Data & Statistics (CFE)

Find out more: Evidence-based policy to localise the SDGs | WUF

The event will launch the new version of the OECD webtool on measuring cities’ and regions’ distance to the SDGs, which was first launched at the World Urban Forum 2020 in Dubai and illustrate how evidence-based policy and measurement frameworks can help cities, regions and national governments localise the SDGs, providing successful examples of evidence-based policy-making for sustainable development by gathering representatives from the OECD, European Commission JRC, cities and national governments (e.g. Brazil). It builds on the conviction that cities, regions and national governments need evidence regarding their “distance” to the SDGs, notably since at least 105 of the 169 SDGs targets will not be achieved without the engagement and coordination with local and regional governments.

Organisers: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

OECD Participation: Aziza Akhmouch, Head of the OECD Division on Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development (CFE); Rudiger Ahrend, Head of Division: Economic Analysis, Data & Statistics (CFE)

Find out more: Lessons from Spatial Planning Platform Enhance wellbeing in urban and rural areas. (Country Good Practices in Governance and Partnerships(Spin-off of the 7th Spp meeting) )　 | WUF (unhabitat.org)

This event, a spin-off of the Spatial Planning Platform (SPP) meetings, will focus on sharing insights from previous SPP discussions, emphasizing the importance of regional development to address urban challenges like congestion and environmental degradation. Participants will explore Japan's strategies for balanced regional growth and nationwide transport networks, fostering international partnerships across Asia, Africa, and beyond. The event aligns with the "Stronger Together" dialogue, promoting multi-level cooperation to enhance the effectiveness of national spatial plans.

Organiser(s): Ministry of Land Infrastructure Transport and Tourism of Japan

OECD Participation: Aziza Akhmouch, Head of the OECD Division on Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development (CFE)

Find out more: Bridging Divides - Residential Segregation in Asia and Africa | WUF (unhabitat.org)

This event will explore residential segregation and spatial inequalities in cities, with a focus on Asia and Africa, through a spatial lens to better understand the drivers and impacts of inequality. It will examine how access to housing, health, education, and climate vulnerability contribute to segregation, while fostering policy debates and sharing localized solutions. Bringing together researchers, policymakers, and civil society, the event aims to promote innovative actions and strengthen global partnerships to address segregation and support sustainable urbanization.

Organiser(s): Shaanxi Normal University, China

OECD Participation: Tadashi Matsumoto, Head of Unit, Sustainable Development and Global Relations; Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development Division (CFE)

Find out more: Monitoring urban fabric for data-driven planning and decision-making | WUF (unhabitat.org)

This event will present insights, objectives and preliminary results of case studies of EuroFab project, and gather the attendees perspectives on Earth Observation and AI to revolutionise the way urban fabric data is produced and made available for monitoring and what is its relevance and applicability in evidence-based urban and regional planning and policy. It will facilitate discussions on how detailed data on neighbourhood structure can inform housing policy and urban development, offering stakeholders new tools for evidence-based planning and gather insights into existing knowledge, research endeavors, operational practices, information gaps, and previous experiences with urban analytics products and services, including those based on traditional mapping as well as satellite Earth Observation data. The discussion will inform EuroFab and help to define user needs for a novel data product.

Organiser(s): Charles University, Czech Republic

OECD Participation: Moderation by Claudia Baranzelli, Coordinator OECD Geospatial Lab (CFE)

Organisers: Kingdom of Morocco

OECD Participation: David Burgalassi, Economist – Urban Systems (CFE)

Find out more: G7 economies shaping urban futures | WUF (unhabitat.org)

During this event, the representatives of G7 economies will speak about sustainable urbanization’s challenges and opportunities, while addressing key questions on 1) how does the G7 Kagawa - Takamatsu Communiqué set the stage for improving domestic and international sustainable urban development; 2) What initiatives are G7 countries planning and implementing to advance sustainable development at the city and national level? And 3) How can G7 countries best cooperate with other national and local governments across the world to advance sustainable and inclusive urban development? The session will present the G7 Italian Presidency’s action framework and foster dialogue between G7 representatives, other nations, and city officials to promote integrated solutions for sustainable, resilient, and inclusive urban development.

OECD Participation: Stefano Marta, Head of Unit, Smart and Sustainable Cities (CFE)

Find out more: Flagship Programme Transforming Urban Futures Localizing People-Centred Smart Cities Guidelines through Multilateral Cooperation | WUF (unhabitat.org)

This event will focus on the vital role of national and local governments in implementing international guidelines aimed at fostering global collaboration on digital solutions, exploring how these guidelines can be localized through a multi-stakeholder approach, addressing the unique challenges and opportunities faced by urban environments and digitalization. The event will emphasize the strategic convergence of global frameworks with local leadership, particularly highlighting the critical roles mayors and city leaders play in driving urban digital transformation. It will serve as both a platform for knowledge sharing and a catalyst for meaningful collaborations to leverage on technologies and achieve better quality of life in cities.

Organiser: UN-Habitat

OECD Participation: Aziza Akhmouch, Head of the OECD Division on Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development (CFE)

Find out more: National Urban Policy, The new constitution of urbanization in Egypt | WUF (unhabitat.org)

The event will provide an opportunity to present Egypt’s National Urban Policy and showcase the new system of Egyptian cities that the government intends to develop to counterbalance the dominance of Cairo and Alexandria. Among others, the government intends to integrate a people-centred smart city approach into the NUP. This will increase the focus on mainstreaming sustainable and inclusive digital transition and meeting people's needs using digital technologies to improve people's quality of life. Drawing on key findings from the OECD Green Growth Policy Review of Egypt, the OECD will share key recommendations on building climate-smart, resilient and inclusive cities. The review notably encourages to pursue efforts to shift policy attention towards transformative change in existing urban agglomerations.

Organisers: General Organization for Physical Planning of Egypt’s Ministry of Housing, Utilities & Urban Communities and UN-Habitat 

OECD Participation:  Tadashi Matsumoto, Head of Unit, Sustainable Development and Global Relations; Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development Division (CFE)

The event will present Egypt’s new guidelines on sustainable buildings and discuss ways forward to promote and implement these guidelines. The OECD will share some insights from the OECD Green Growth Policy Review of Egypt to advance the greening of the building sector.  

Organisers: Egypt’s Housing and Building National Research Centre and Ministry of Housing, Utilities & Urban Communities 

OECD Participation: Vicente Ruiz, Economist, OECD Development Centre, with inputs from the OECD Environment Directorate

Find out more: Local Perspectives - Cities Leading the Way to Achieving the Sdgs | WUF

The event will offer a unique opportunity to delve into the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from local perspectives. It aims to highlight how cities are approaching the issue of achieving and addressing the SDGs, emphasizing the urgent need to close the action gap towards the SDGs, including through cooperation and with support from actors in the global multilateral system. The proposed session is spearheaded by the city of Tallinn, Estonia, and will be moderated by Eurocities, the largest network of European cities. Reflecting on its longstanding efforts of SDG implementation, Tallinn will share insights into its journey, discussing its challenges and the pivotal role international cooperation has played in its efforts. The discussion aims to bridge the "monitoring hype" by focusing on actual, real-world actions and policy solutions to achieve significant SDGs impact.

Organisers: City of Talinn, Estonia

OECD Participation: Stefano Marta, Head of Unit, Smart and Sustainable Cities (CFE)

This event aims to address the systemic challenges of urban planning, transport and the built environment in achieving net-zero carbon emissions and climate resilience. It is co-organized by OECD Development Centre and the World Green Building Council and featuring high-level speakers from the Hot and Cool Institute, Emirates Green Building Council, and the Egypt Green Building Council. The event will highlight the importance of systemic approaches to advance towards net zero. It will feature the 'Zero Carbon Readiness and Climate Resilience Framework' developed by the World Green Building Council for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, a system approach for policy making developed by the Hot and Cool Institute, as well as the results of a series of case studies from Mozambique and Kenya, carried out but the OECD Development Centre, showcasing systemic approaches to urban development.

Organisers: OECD Development Centre and Global Green Building Council

OECD Participation: Vincente Ruiz, Economist, OECD Development Centre

Organiser: Malaysia

OECD Participation: Stefano Marta, Head of Unit, Smart and Sustainable Cities (CFE)

Find out more: Cities on the move towards future proof Urban Mobility Planning, engaging voices from Ghana and Costa Rica | WUF

The event will explore strategies and best practices for developing and implementing sustainable mobility plans in small and medium-sized municipalities and cities through two case studies; 1) Costa Rica with its Move with Costa Rican Municipalities towards Future-Proof Intermunicipal Mobility Planning: Learned Lessons from the mUEve Project ​and 2) Ghana with its City on the Move, Engaging Voices from Accra for Sustainable Urban Transport Planning. The topic will feature pitches, setting the scene by showcasing the local realities and project ambitions, voiced by a local representative from Accra and the San José metropolitan area.

Organiser: Sahel and West Africa Club OECD

OECD Participation: Brilé Anderson, Programme Manager – Climate, Urbanisation and Environment, Sahel and West Africa Club, OECD

Find out more: Road to Trillions - Actionable Strategies to Close the Urban Climate Finance Gap | WUF (unhabitat.org)

This event will present the latest data on urban climate finance flows and needs from the 2024 State of Cities Climate Finance Report, and explore actionable recommendations made by the Report. It spotlights the challenges that cities face in accessing climate finance, whilst also spotlighting the innovative solutions being pioneered by diverse actors to support cities in mitigating their emissions and building resilience to the impacts of climate change. It will also explore proposals to enhance cities' access to urban SDG finance, highlighting efforts by the SDSN Global Commission and partner organizations like OECD, CAF, CCFLA, and PwC.

Organisers:  Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA); Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) and the German Government (BMZ and BMWK)

OECD Participation: Aziza Akhmouch, Head of the OECD Division on Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development (CFE)

In the spirit of the commitments made in Paris, notably in the Chaillot Declaration the session will aim to promote best practices and feedback on appropriate responses to the housing crisis (construction, allocation, management, renovation), share experiences of difficulties in accessing housing and how these are managed by local players as well as promote local know-how on mitigation and adaptation strategies for social and affordable housing, amongst many objectives, to take stock of the various innovations undertaken to find a sustainable, low-carbon way out of the housing crisis. 

OECD Participation: Tadashi Matsumoto, Head of Unit, Sustainable Development and Global Relations; Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development Division (CFE)