In 2021 the African Centre for Cities (ACC), an action-oriented research hub based at the University of Cape Town and UNITAC initiated a collaborative platform for shared research interests under the banner of the Urban Academy. The collaboration is based on a shared interest in unpacking the intersection of technology, society, and cities to examine democratic decision-making, new models of service delivery, and the future of work.
During the past year, the UNITAC team developed BEAM, a tool that addresses some of the challenges that urban planners face in informal settlements in eThekwini, South Africa, as well as a model to predict risk scenarios using data from Jordan and Brazil.
The World Urban Forum (WUF) is the premier global conference on sustainable urbanization. WUF11 will be held in the Polish city of Katowice from 26-30 June 2022.
This will be the first time that the WUF, convened by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), will take place in Eastern Europe.
The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 1 – 12 November 2021.
The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Every October, UN-Habitat and partners organize a month of activities, events and discussions on urban sustainability known as Urban October. The month of activities ends this year as always on World Cities Day on 31 October 2021
The Innovate4Cities team will present regional snapshots of identified knowledge gaps and needs for city climate ambition. In these sessions, we want to enrich these snapshots with innovative ideas, missed opportunities and partnerships.
The United Nations World Data Forum (UNWDF) is an event of global importance directly related to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It provides a space for discussion between different communities of data producers and users. Bringing together different data communities of producers and users, and harnessing the power of technology and other innovative tools are both essential to fulfil the data demands of the 2030 Agenda.
Urban October is an opportunity for everyone to be part of the conversation about the challenges and opportunities created by the fast rate of change in our cities and towns. Each October, everyone interested in sustainable urbanization from national and local governments to universities, NGOs and communities is encouraged to hold or participate in virtual or physical activities, events, and discussions. The month begins with World Habitat Day on the first Monday of October, which falls on 4 October in 2021 and ends with World Cities Day on 31 October 2021.
The Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) serves as the Governing Council’s permanent inter-sessional subsidiary organ to address issues arising between the biennial Governing Council meetings. The CPR’s main functions are as follows:
