6th Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development begins in New Delhi

The sixth edition of Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD) began in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.
The three days conference seeks to address issues ranging from crowded city centres to peripheral expansion, metropolitan based urban population growth, megacities and urban corridors etc.

Key Facts

• In this conference ministers and senior officials from 68 countries in the Asia-Pacific region are expected to deliberate on challenges of urban planning and management.
• It will adopt Delhi Declaration and implementation plan for aligning urban development strategies of member countries with New Urban Agenda adopted at Quito, Eucador.
• During the conference, five working groups will deliberate on different sub-themes like Integrated Planning, Management and Governance Structures.
• They will also be ensuring sustainable and natural disaster resilient urban development including climate change.
• The conference assumes significance considering that Asia Pacific Region accounts for 60% of the world population and 55% of global urban population. 

About New Urban Agenda

• It was adopted at the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (also known as “Habitat III” conference) held in Quito, Ecuador.
• It sets the global vision of sustainable urbanization for the next 20 years. It is a set of 175 commitments that countries need to adhere to tackle challenges of urbanization.
• It is considered as roadmap for building cities that can serve as engines of prosperity and centres of social and cultural well-being while protecting the environment.
• It provides guidance for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and provides the underpinning for actions to address climate change.

About APMCHUD

APMCHUD is an intergovernmental mechanism for collaboration and cooperation in the field of housing and development among Asia Pacific countries. It was established under the aegis and support of UN-Habitat. It is consultative mechanism on the promotion of sustainable development of housing and urban development in Asia-Pacific region.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2016