By Maduka Nweke
In order to unify voices on sustainable urbanisation, Africa Housing Ministers recently met in New York and presented a common position on the global debate for implementation of the New Urban Agenda at a UN General Assembly in the USA.
The meeting was scheduled ahead of the UN High Level meeting to review progress in implementing a framework on sustainable urbanisation for New Urban Agenda.
The Nigeria’s Minister of State for Works and Housing, Muazu Sambo, who hosted the Ministerial Dialogue on the Africa Urban Agenda, presented a shared global vision on how to build, manage and live in cities, through urbanisation that is well-planned and well-managed. Speaking at the meeting, Sambo said addressing urbanisation challenges in the continent required African solutions that suit its regional socio-economic peculiarities, noting the Nigeria’s role in championing the course.
“Also, it has been at the fore-front to present a unified position in the global dialogue in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda,’’ he said.
In his remarks, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Transport Infrastructure Housing, Urban Development and Public Works, Mr James Macharia, said his delegation was greatly concerned about the slow pace of reporting on the New Urban Agenda.
Macharia said his delegation was disturbed at the slow pace of reporting on the agenda, with only 30 Member states having reported and only eight from Africa. “Some of the challenges we have experienced are interference by the COVID-19 Pandemic, low prioritisation and inadequate awareness of the urban agenda, limited financial resources and statistical capacity within national statistical systems to support reporting.
“For some time now, UN-Habitat has also been underfunded and understaffed, limiting its ability to coordinate implementation and reporting,’’ he said.
Amb, Jean Kimani, Permanent Representative of Kenya to UN Human Settlements Programmes (UN-HABITAT), read the remarks of Macharia at the meeting. Some of the ministers who spoke re-affirmed their commitments to the implementation, follow up and review of the New Urban Agenda.