National Urban Policies: Key pillar for implementation of NUA

Conference of the Cities

3 October 2017

@ElkinVelasquezM

Many fundamental urban issues are decided and coordinated at national level

Therefore, there is a need for an overarching guiding framework

National Urban Policies and Habitat III

• UN Habitat selected as one of the co-leading institutions of Policy Unit 3 on National Urban Policies, along with OECD.

• The Expert Group met in two Expert Group Meetings and produced the Policy Paper on National Urban Policies

“We will take measures to establish legal and policy frameworks, based on the principles of equality and nondiscrimination, to better enable prevailing governments to effectively implement national urban policies, as appropriate, and to empower them as policy and decision-makers, ensuring appropriate fiscal, political, and administrative decentralization based on the principle of subsidiarity” (New Urban Agenda, pp. 12)

The Action Framework for the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda (AFINUA)

Introduction outlining purpose, principles and values and links to sustainable

development

Five categories: (1) National urban policies, (2) Urban legislation, rules and regulations,

(3) Urban planning and design, (4) Urban economy and municipal finance, (5) Local

implementation

Thirty-five (35) essential elements with succinct titles and distilled descriptions

Indication of lead actors

Connections to key paragraphs of the New Urban Agenda and other areas of AFINUA

Target 11.a: Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning

Proposed Indicator 11.a.1, being considered by the IAEG-SDGs (pending):

Number of countries that are developing and implementing a National Urban Policy or Regional Development Plans that (a) respond to population

dynamics, (b) ensure balanced territorial development, and (c) increase local fiscal space."

Linking NUP with SDG 11, Target 11.a, Indicator 11.a.1

Resolution 24/5 of UN-Habitat Governing Council: OP2. Requests the Executive Director of UN-Habitat in consultation with the Committee of Permanent Representatives to develop a general guiding framework for the development, where appropriate, of National Urban Policies, based on international good experiences, to further support member states when developing and improving their urban policies. Resolution 25/6 of UN-Habitat Governing Council: OP12. Requests the Executive Director to further strengthen partnerships, peer learning and a community of practice approach on national urban policies as means to support national and local governments as they develop and implement such policies.

UN Habitat Mandate on NUP

National Urban Policies: A key tool for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda National Urban Policies provide:

• A framework that provides an overarching coordination to address urban challenges, maximize the benefits of urbanization, while mitigating potential adverse externalities.

• A lever to amalgamate the dispersed energy and potential of urban centres within a national system of cities and towns.

• A tool to coordinate the work of different sectors and tiers of government, consult other urban actors, establish the incentives for more sustainable practices, and allocate resources.

9

Strengthening urban, peri-urban and rural links Linking sectoral policies through

balanced territorial development

Strengthening urban, peri-urban and rural links

Where we work: UN Habitat and National Urban Policies

UN Habitat is working on urban policy at different levels, supporting 1 regional programme on National Urban Policy (Arab States), 33 National Urban Policy

processes and 3 sub-national urban policy processes

Working with Partners

The Global National Urban Policy Programme

The joint initiative will work to support the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and to achieving sustainable and prosperous human settlements for all, leaving no one behind,

through the development of National Urban Policies

Expert Group Meeting on Engendering National Urban Policies

Hosted by: UN Habitat and Huairou Commission

Date and Venue: 17 May 2017, Paris, France

The EGM highlighted:

1. the importance of gender equality themes within urban policy

2. the cross-cutting nature of urban policy, particularly NUPs, in their role as an overarching framework for coordinated, multi-sectorial and cooperative urban development

NUPP Activity: The Second International Conference on National Urban Policy

More than 350 participants representing 30+ international

organizations

14 Ministers, 9 Mayors and regional representatives

141 speakers over two days

and representatives from 80 countries

Tools and Resources

The National Urban Policy Process

UN Habitat is a leader in the global monitoring of the state of National Urban Policies and is working to support national governments and other stakeholders by collecting data, best practices, and other knowledge on NUP across the world

UN Habitat’s National Urban Policy Database

• The UN Habitat National Urban Policy Database is an important tool that provides a global overview of the state of urban policy at the national level

• The database gathers country-level data (when available) for almost all United Nations Member States on the existence of relevant NUPs

The Pillars of the NUP Process

From technical tools to practical implementation: • Countries have requested support

in data collection and analysis to ensure evidence based policy.

• For example, Jordan, Lebanon, Sudan, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Liberia, and Cameroon are currently undertaking their Diagnosis reviews, supported by the normative tool developed by UN Habitat, National Urban Policy: Framework for A Rapid Diagnostic

Capacity Development for National Urban Policy

• UN Habitat has developed a Capacity

Development Package for National Urban Policy

• By envisioning change using a Theory of Change model, participants will understand how, and be empowered to, use National Urban Policy as a tool for sustainable urban development

• The Capacity Development Package was piloted at the First International Conference on NUP in December 2015 in Incheon, Korea

• Developing a National Urban Policy is not a top down process

• There are essential roles and

responsibilities for all stakeholder in the NUP process

• A National Urban Forum is an effective tool which provides a national platform for discussion and dialogue

A Participatory Approach to National Urban Policy

NUP Thematic Guide Series

“Addressing Climate Change in National Urban Policy” : Providing concrete recommendations for policy makers and other stakeholders on mainstreaming climate change in NUPs

From technical tools to practical implementation: • Countries have thematic entry

points, for example, Viet Nam, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Philippines are being supported through the UN Development Account by UN Habitat and UNESCAP to mainstream climate change into their National Urban Policies, supported by the normative guide developed by UN Habitat, Mainstreaming Climate Change into National Urban Policies

Other upcoming thematic guides:

• NUP and migration

• NUP and gender, youth and human rights

• NUP and public space

• NUP in crisis and post-crisis areas

“Supporting National and City-wide Slum Upgrading and Prevention through National Urban Policy”

NUP Thematic Guide Series

Some highlights and key messages to move forward

1. On Territorial development and urbanisation: Think national, coordinate regional and act local.

2. There is no one-size-fits-all

3. There has to be an adaptation to the historic moment of the country/region (level of urbanisation, GDP/capita, HDI, gini, etc.)

4. In countries with tradition of institutional centralisation, the role of the regional/subnational level has developed incrementally.

5. Coordination is the key concept (between plans and budgets, among policy sectors, between levels of government)

Highlights and key messages

Oruro, Bolivia, Flickr Creative Commons

6. National and Regional policies in emerging economies have to have a double purpose: Addressing territorial and urban inequalities and looking into economic development, based on existing urban agglomerations, and Institutional frameworks need to be adapted accordingly.

7. A legal discussion is a unique opportunity to set up a legal and institutional framework for sound territorial planning.

Highlights and key messages

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Flickr Creative Commons

Future plans and opportunities Future opportunities include: • Establishment of further regional programmes on National Urban Policy including one with MINURVI for increased impact on

NUP in Latin America and the Caribbean • Possibility for Regional Conferences on National Urban Policy, including a Regional Conference on National Urban Policy in

Latin America and the Caribbean with regional partners (ex. MINURVI, ECLAC, development banks) • Ongoing discussion to advance and support other countries on NUP including Kuwait and Guinea Conakry. For LAC it is

expected a concretization of NUP operations in Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala as well as continued efforts to support Haiti as the only LDC in LAC and other MIC countries making the demand

• Scaling up of the Global National Urban Policy Programme, especially in Latin American and the Caribbean, where two countries, Chile, which already has a NUP, and Argentina, have confirmed their interest in being partners of the National Urban Policy Programme

• Scaling up of tools on National Urban Policy, including capacity development tools for National Urban Policy and tools to

support the drafting of National Urban Policies including contextualization to LAC and translation to working languages in the region.

• Forthcoming release of additional Thematic Guides on National Urban Policy, including guides on National Urban Policy and

Gender, Youth and Human Rights and National Urban Policy and Public Space, including translation and adaptation to MIC context and audiences in LAC

• Continued work on SDG Indicator 11.a.1, including presentation of the proposed revised indicator to the Statistical

Commission and articulation with CPI so that countries/cities utilizing CPI can also report on this indicator (and other urban related SDGs).

Thank you!

@ElkinVelasquezM