Towards Implementing the New Urban Agenda in Australasia and the Pacific Region. Project 2021: The First Five Years

Following the Australian Government's adoption of the New Urban Agenda at the Quito Habitat III conference, a group of Australian civil society, government and private sector organisations wanted to kick-start the dialogue on NUA implementation in Australasia and the Asia Pacific region. The result was a two-day international conference Implementing the New Urban Agenda: Making Cities and Human Settlements Inclusive, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable, held in Melbourne 4th and 5th May 2017. The conference assembled 240 delegates from 11 nations and a variety of cross-sectoral organisations to explore the main levers and barriers to NUA Implementation. Dr Joan Clos, former Executive Director of UN-Habitat, provided the keynote address and over 80 presenters contributed to the program, addressing all the key areas for implementing the NUA.

The conference organisers have since consolidated and gained support to create the Australasia and Pacific Region Standing Conference for NUA Implementation. The Standing Conference will perform the following functions:

• Recruit members to a 'community of practice' implementation network

• Maintain an 'Implementing the New Urban Agenda' website for the region

• Convene conferences, seminars and networking events in support of NUA implementation

• Convene a biennual conference for the Australasia and Pacific region

• Produce and periodically revise a 'roadmap' document towards monitoring NUA implementation, provisionally titled Project 2021.

This side event will:

• present information on the standing committee

• deliver a consultation workshop to further explore and develop the content of the initial draft of the Project 2021 document

The Project 2021 document aims to identify how alignment of the objectives of Agenda 2030 and the New Urban Agenda can be achieved and delivered in the region. The draft document discusses the key aspects of the Action Framework for New Urban Agenda Implementation (AFINUA) and identifies the primary public policy areas that require focus to deliver sustainable achievement of the objectives of the NUA. It is also focused on the contribution of civil society organisations, the private sector and academia to the delivery of Agenda 2030 and the NUA.