UN program sets up Shanghai award for urban development

With support from the Chinese government, the United Nations Human Settlements Program has initiated the Shanghai Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, which aims to boost urban sustainable development around the world.

The award will be inaugurated at World Cities Day in Shanghai on Oct 31, announced Maimunah Sharif, UN-Habitat executive director, in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Wednesday during the first session of the board this year, according to a media release from China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Led by UN-Habitat, the award was jointly initiated by the UN body, the ministry and the Shanghai government.

It will be selected once a year. Aside from a comprehensive award for cities with outstanding overall performance in urban sustainable development, there will also be themed awards for cities with outstanding progress in certain aspects.

Collection and selection work for the first award will be launched soon, the release said.

Zhou Pingjian, the permanent representative to UN-Habitat, said the Chinese government supported setting up the award to promote sustainable urban development, accelerate the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, which was proposed by President Xi Jinping in September 2021.

Giving an address via video at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, the president proposed the initiative to steer global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth in light of the severe shocks of COVID-19.

Cities are home to more than half of the world's population and play a key role in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, which is widely recognized by the international community, said Zhou, also Chinese ambassador to Kenya.

"The Chinese government stands ready to use the award as a bond to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with UN-Habitat and all UN member states in the field of urban development, work together for the implementation of the GDI and the 2030 Agenda and make joint contribution toward building a community with a shared future for mankind," he noted.