UN Habitat recognises ORU’s role in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda
The Bureau held in Rabat was followed by two Work Sessions to review ORU’s work in territorial planning, climate change, decent work and SDG
After the meeting of the Executive Bureau, two Work Sessions focusing on the projects currently being carried out by ORU Fogar took place in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Regional Council. The first one, on Monday 24th of April, opened with a presentation by the Deputy Secretary General of Habitat III, Kumaresh Misra, on the need to include the intermediate governments in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
“UN Habitat has the responsibility to implement the New Urban Agenda coordinating actors at all levels–national, subnational and local– and taking into account both urban and rural territorial planning”, said Misra. “Human settlements are not only in the cities, therefore it is very important to have an organisation like ORU Fogar to defend territorial planning in order to achieve sustainable development in the territories”, he added. With our organisation’s commitment to assume this responsibility in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, the following sessions began.
Anita Amorim, head of the Emerging and Special Partnerships Unit of ILO, followed-up the practical implementation of the agreement between ORU and ILO. She explained that two decent work pilot projects have already began in the Azuay province (Ecuador) and the Koungheul Department (Senegal). The session ended with the presentation of two initiatives by the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation (ACCD): firstly, the RIS3 strategy implementation in ten Latin American regions lead by ORU’s 2030 Agenda Work Group, given by Javier Sánchez. Secondly, the application of the European Commission’s TAIEX instrument in regions outside of the EU, given by Yoya Alcoceba, in charge of the ACCD’s new financing strategies, addressed specially to the Moroccan regions.
Climate Change and 2030 Agenda
The second session, held on the 25th April, began with the presentation of R20’s "100 Climate Solutions Project Campaign", given by its Executive Director Christophe Nuttall, and which will benefit ten of ORU Fogar’s member regions. This was followed by an interesting contribution by Federico Buyolo, Director for Cooperation and Solidarity at the Valencian Government on SDG implementation in Valencia, which is considered exemplary for its efficiency and deployment, as well as for its capacity to generate partnerships that engage all stakeholders. This discussion aroused mutual interest: ORU showed interest in the Valencian model and the Generalitat invited the organisation to take part in the international meeting of regions on SDG that will be held in Valencia next September.
The meeting in Rabat provided the occasion to present the latest project in which ORU is engaged. “Light-us. En route pour un monde durable” is an initiative by MIPAI (Moroccan Institute of Intelligence and Public Affairs) which plans a route by electric cars from the headquarters of the last COP22 (Marrakech, Morocco) to the next COP23 (Bonn, Germany). Ayoub Makhloufi, Chairman and Founder of MIPAI presented the route, elaborated together with ORU. The session finished with a meeting with the Secretary General of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Li Xicui, and the Secretary General of the Chinese Foundation for Peace Development (CFFPD), Jia Ling, with whom ORU is working on a potential collaboration.
Related content
Rabat hosts the meeting of the Executive Bureau. Article published by ORU Fogar, 02/05/2017
ORU Fogar meets with the Moroccon Head of Government. Article published by ORU Fogar, 03/05/2017
CPAFFC Secretary-General Li Xikui Visits Spain and Morocco. Article published by CPAFFC, 29/04/2017
