Act Local to Go Global

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, 1^st November, We have only about 87 months, 380 weeks, or 2600 days left to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The best way to do so is by ensuring our cities and communities are sustainable.

These are big words. What I mean to say is that sometimes the solution to the challenges we are facing such as the Covid-19 pandemic, ongoing conflicts, and climate disasters is starring us in the face.

At UN-Habitat we work with communities and city managers every day. Cities and communities have the power to help Governments translate policy into practice.

With the right tools, local leaders can take action on critical needs such as housing, climate adaptation, and safety.

City managers very often engage the right partners and find solutions by working together with their communities.

But going from local to global is a two-way street. We need all levels of government and all stakeholders to become partners. We need to work alongside each other to rescue the SDGs.

This is the key to an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient global habitat. One where we live in harmony with nature.

The theme for this year’s World Cities Day 2022 is “Act Local to Go Global”. More than ever, we need to work towards achieving transformative change in our cities to build the future we want.

UN-Habitat has been at the forefront of localizing Sustainable Development Goals. We help by continuing to advocate for practical ways to incorporate the SDGs in local plans; creative ways to collect and use data to inform decision-

making; and most importantly, providing guidelines to ensure wider opportunities for women, youth, and the disabled to participate in the making and implementation of action plans. Participatory budgeting is one such example.

We also offer technical expertise to cities, train urban planners, and advocate for strengthening the voice of local and regional governments in the global arena.

On World Cities Day, let us confront urban challenges and forge lasting transformative solutions by finding those solutions together. Let’s act local to go global.