NATIONAL URBAN POLICIES: IMPLEMENTING THE SDGS AND THE NEW URBAN AGENDA

The Second International Conference on National Urban Policy took place on 15-16 May 2017 at OECD Headquarters, Paris, France. This was the first opportunity following the Habitat III Conference in Quito to consider in an international forum the role of National Urban Policy (NUP) in the global urban agenda and within the context of the ongoing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) process. The conference was jointly hosted by the OECD and UN Habitat.

 The conference brought together 14 ministers, 9 mayors and regional governors, and welcomed over 350 participants (policy makers, local and national government officials, non-governmental actors, experts working in areas of urban policy) to discuss the implentation of urban policy at the national level.

The growing recognition of the importance of national urban policies and the OECD’s work on the topic is also reflected in the significant increase in high-level participation.  

CONFERENCE OUTCOMES

The conference emphasised the valuable role national urban policies (NUPs) can play in creating a collaborative and coordinated institutional environment .The large and growing urban population means that national urban policies are becoming ever more important in many countries. Discussions revealed a 

• NUPs play a central role in the implementation of the international agendas (such as the New Urban Agenda, Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement)

Conference participants engaged through regional discussions among different stakeholders to discuss the importance of NUP in their region through:

• Thematic sessions, discussing the importance and impact of NUP in different thematic areas
• Country experience sessions
• Capacity development
• A field tour in Paris, hosted by France

NATIONAL URBAN POLICY PROGRAMME: A JOINT INITIATIVE

The conference was one of the main activities of the National Urban Policy Programme (NUPP), a joint initiative of UN Habitat, OECD and Cities Alliance, aimed at working together to support the development and implementation of NUPs globally. The objectives of the programme are to: 

• Enhance knowledge creation, exchange and management on NUP at all levels of government, civil society, the private sector and other relevant stakeholders
• Help increase the capacity (human, financial, and institutional) of policy makers at national and subnational levels to develop and progressively implement urban policies, particularly in the form of NUP, by providing a platform for capacity-building activities
• Provide direct country support for NUP making and participatory processes to ensure involvement of relevant ministries, subnational governments, civil society etc.
• Monitor the progress of NUP in its role as a part of the monitoring process of the New Urban Agenda/SDGs, through a global review as well as country specific reviews on NUP
• Provide a networking platform where all levels of government, civil society, the private sector and other relevant stakeholders can engage in the process of developing and implementing NUP

OPENING SPEECH
BY OECD SECRETARY-GENERAL

AGENDA

Download the agenda (PDF)

NATIONAL URBAN POLICY IN OECD COUNTRIES

This report, prepared for the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) was launched at the conference. It provides an asssessment of the state and scope of NUPs across 35 OECD countries.

NATIONAL URBAN POLICY AT THE OECD

Through over ten years of experience sharing and lessons learned, the OECD Working Party on Urban Policy provides recommendations to assist policymakers in achieving their policy objectives. Read more...