U20 Mayoral Summit kicks off to finalise draft common agenda for sustainable development

Ahmedabad, Jul 7 (PTI) A two-day 'Urban 20 Mayoral Summit', which kicked off here on Friday, will discuss the best practices and finalise a draft common agenda for sustainable development.
    Speaking at the summit's opening ceremony here, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said urbanisation should be designed in such a way where there is a solution to problems pertaining to climate change, public service and traffic, among others.
    "Development of every city is important to shape our future," he said.
    The chief minister said that rapid urbanisation is happening in all countries, adding that cities do not only generate opportunities for economic development, but they also offer opportunities for social economy for their countries.
    Patel said that in India, Gujarat is one of the most urbanised states.
    The U20 is an engagement group under India's G20 presidency. It is a city diplomacy initiative, comprising cities from G20 countries, emphasising the role of cities in taking forward the global agenda for sustainable development through collaboration among cities.
    According to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, around 500 delegates are taking part in the Urban 20 (U20) Summit, facilitating discussions among cities from G20 countries. There are over 142 delegates from nearly 60 foreign cities and 120 delegates from Indian cities.
    Over 45 mayors and deputy mayors from international cities are participating in the two-day summit. More than 35 Indian mayors are also attending the event.
    "It is necessary that urbanisation should be designed in such a way that along with sustainable development, there is also a solution to various problems relating to climate change, traffic and public service distribution. We all have gathered here to work on a common agenda for sustainable development and we have to understand that development of every city is important to shape our future," the chief minister said.
    As a global community, several challenges would be similar. The Urban20 summit will prove good by bringing mayors and global leaders on a single platform for modern development and futuristic challenges, Patel added.
    Union Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Manoj Joshi said urbanisation in India is happening at a "very rapid pace".
    A senior official said that on Saturday, a draft common agenda for sustainable development will be shared and then, it will be finalised in the G20 Summit to be held later this year.
    The U20 establishes a platform for cities to collectively inform G20 negotiations with respect to urban priorities, an official said.
    Eighty mayors from Indian and foreign cities will engage during closed-door sessions to further deliberate on the U20's priorities and sustainability agenda for the cities.
    "With over 500 participants, including mayors, deputy mayors, and city officials, besides government delegates and knowledge partners, this is poised to become one of the largest U20 summits ever," Ministry Joint Secretary Kunal Kumar said.
    The event will also host an exhibition showcasing India's urban story, especially city-level successes, notable projects and innovative initiatives. There will also be a screening of select films to help raise awareness about the multifaceted impacts of climate change on urban areas and vice versa.
    Thematic sessions on the six U20 priority areas will be organised during the summit. The U20 priority areas echo the emphasis G20 is laying on environmental responsibility, climate finance and cities of the future.
    The six priorities under the U20 include encouraging environmentally responsible behaviours, accelerating climate finance, ensuring water security, promoting local culture and economy, reinventing frameworks for urban governance and planning, and catalysing digital urban futures.
    The thematic sessions will include talks and presentations by mayors or equivalent city leaders from Tokyo, Riyadh, Paris, Surat, Srinagar, Amman, Los Angeles, New York City, Katowice, Rio de Janeiro, Dubai, Indore, Kitchener, London, Montevideo, Johannesburg, Kochi and Durban, among others.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)