Future of Asia-Pacific cities in spotlight at 7th Asia-Pacific Urban Forum

The 7th Asia-Pacific Urban Forum is being organized from 15th – 17th October 2019, Penang, Malaysia.

Natural resource management, climate change, disaster risk and rising inequalities. These are just some of the critical development challenges affecting over 2.3 billion people living in Asia-Pacific's cities. By 2050, the addition of 1.2 billion new urban residents will have profound implications for the region's economy, society and environment.

The main speakers of the forum are - Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Ms. Hajah Zuraida Kamaruddin, Minister of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia and Mr. Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang.

The Seventh Asia-Pacific Urban Forum (APUF-7) will mobilize engaged policymakers, expert speakers and thought leaders from national and local government, private sector, research communities and civil society to provide insights into future-proofed urbanisation solutions. The Forum will provide opportunities to mobilize common actions and strengthen effective partnerships for sustainable urban development in the region.

Guided by the theme "Future of Asia and Pacific Cities: Transformative Pathways to Achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", APUF-7 will also feature four Leaders' Dialogues highlighting innovative policy and technical solutions in the areas of urban and territorial planning, data and technologies for smart cities, urban resilience and urban finance.

Held every four to five years, the Asia-Pacific Urban Forum is the largest regional gathering of urban stakeholders. This year the Forum is organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), in partnership with Urbanice Malaysia.

(With inputs from 7th Asia-Pacific Urban Forum)