Against the backdrop of global urban challenges, national and international experts and officials have emphasized the critical need for collective action and partnerships to promote urban sustainability and address related crises. .
The two spoke at a World Cities Day celebration event themed “Building people-centered cities for a better life” in Weihai, Shandong province, on Saturday.
Established by the Chinese government in 2010, World Cities Day is observed on October 31 every year. Recognized by the United Nations in 2013, the world began celebrating the day in 2014.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Weihai event, Anna Claudia Rosbach, executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, also known as UN-Habitat, called the day “a very important global platform from China to the rest of the world.” praised.
She said this is very important and strategic for knowledge exchange and for exploring cooperation between cities around the world.
He noted the formidable obstacles facing the world in tackling climate change, alleviating poverty and addressing humanitarian crises, and emphasized the interconnected nature of these challenges with the global housing crisis. .
“Currently, one billion people live in informal settlements and two billion people lack access to drinking water,” Rosbach said.
With homes destroyed in disasters and conflicts, he stressed that countries should not deal with these crises alone.
“We need to come together and act,” she said.
Mr Rosbach said he welcomed the UN partnership with China, as well as the partnership with Shandong Province and Weihai, to use this event to maximize wisdom and exchange and share knowledge, expertise and experience.
“We need to identify new paths to overcome the great crisis currently facing humanity,” she continued.
Over the past several decades, China has demonstrated extraordinary capacity for sustainable development, Rosbach said.
“We very much look forward to deepening broader cooperation with all levels of government and various stakeholders in China,” she added.
Also attending the event, China’s Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Nie Hong emphasized that the prosperous development of cities deeply affects the quality of life of more than 5 billion people around the world, He stressed that promoting the sustainability of the world is a shared responsibility of nations. countries.
He said, “When we look to the future, we not only recognize the tremendous achievements in urban development, but also the various crises and challenges that urban development still faces, such as resource scarcity, environmental pollution, and extreme weather. We need to be acutely aware of this.” .
The Minister has put forward several proposals to address these challenges.
He called for greater use of cutting-edge information technologies such as big data, cloud computing and the Internet of Things to increase urban intelligence and improve the welfare of city residents.
He also said greater emphasis should be placed on fostering a harmonious relationship between humanity and nature through advances in green buildings and construction materials, as well as promoting sustainable travel practices. pointed out.
Zhu Yongxin, vice chairman of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, pledged China’s unwavering dedication to strengthening cooperation with the international community and organizations such as UN-Habitat.
China is undergoing the most extensive and rapid urbanization phase in human history, and is ready to actively contribute wisdom and solutions to promote sustainable urban development around the world, he said. .
The event in Weihai is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Housing and Urban and Rural Development, UN-Habitat and the Shandong Provincial Government. Held from Saturday to Monday, it was expected to attract more than 2,000 participants from more than 30 countries and regions.
The author can be contacted at houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn.
