UN talks about global urban challenges in Naples

The Sixth UN-World Urban Forum ended last week in Naples, Italy, where policy makers, leaders and civil society representatives gathered together to discuss the future of urban development. In his opening speech the UN-Habitat Executive Director, Dr. Joan Clos had said the Forum would provide the agency with the perfect chance to listen to what the stakeholders had to say, adding that the work of his organization was to relay back to world governments what the participants wanted done. Clos talked about the difficulties  faced by women and young people in the working world. “The fight for women to get equal rights was long and hard fought. In most countries it was left until very late to have women participate in the democratic process,” he said.

A report on the situation of urban youth was presented during the forum, by a director of UN-Habitat Mr. Oyebanji Oyeyinka. ‘Youth in the Prosperity of Cities: State of the Urban Youth Report 2012-2013” noted that inequality, unequal opportunities as well as the issues of employment and underemployment were by far the greatest challenges faced by urban youth in the 21st century.
In his address, UNEP Executive Director Dr. Achim Steiner said his organization was committed to working with UN-Habitat to achieve sustainable urbanization. "Issues of ustainable urbanization, lessening poverty and such related issues can only be tackled jointly and not in isolation," he said.
The UN-Habitat has launched the I’m a City Changer campaign, with the aim of creating awareness to achieve better cities. The campaign is an open platform tro share positive actions that have demonstrated impacts on people’s lives in urban areas and improve the livanbility of cities.
To learn more: imacitychanger.org