Nepal committed to create sustainable cities: KC

Kathmandu, Oct. 19: Minister for Urban Development Arjun Narasingha KC expressed commitment to creating inclusive and sustainable cities through and implementation of Nepal’s Habitat III National Report, said a press statement issued by the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations in New York.

Addressing the third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador, he said that the effective implementation of the report, which was prepared through a wide consultation with relevant stakeholders, would help realise the objectives of the New Urban Agenda and ultimately contribute to sustainable development of the country.

The National Report was published under the theme of ‘Inclusive cities: resilient communities’ in synergy with the New Urban Agenda and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, specially the SDG 11.

Referring to the devastating earthquakes that struck Nepal last year and Ecuador earlier this year, Minister KC underscored the need to pay attention to disaster resilience which needed to be considered right from planning phase incorporating the principle of build-back-better.

He also added that the very idea built into the reconstruction plan of Nepal.

Minister KC highlighted that the new constitution of Nepal guaranteed basic rights of housing, adding that there was progress in establishing a new urban governance structure at local, provincial and federal level.

He also participated in a sideline event ‘Urban dignity: equal access to sanitation and hygiene in public spaces’ organized by Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC).

President of Ecuador Rafael Correa, UN general secretary Ban Ki-Moon and other international personalities addressed the conference.

The Opening Ceremony was attended by many Heads of State/Governments, Vice-Presidents, Ministers, and representatives of member states; heads and representatives of various United Nations organs; representatives of the civil society, private sector, business community and other city actors.

The four-day Habitat III that began Monday will conclude tomorrow by adopting “the New Urban Agenda” the text of which was finalized through intense intergovernmental negotiations, and its Quito Implementation Plan.

The New Urban Agenda envisions sustainable, inclusive and resilient societies through the implementation of the Agenda in synergy and coherence with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.