World Cities Day calls for youth-led local change

Designated by the United Nations General Assembly through resolution 68/239, it aims to elevate the international community’s focus to promote sustainable development and tackle the challenges of urbanisation.  

Youth as catalysts for urban innovation 

“By empowering young people, we can accelerate climate action and drive global progress for the Sustainable Development Goals”, stated António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, while explaining the theme of this year, “Youth Climate Changemakers: Catalysing Local Action for Urban Sustainability.” 

By 2050, an estimated 70 per cent of the global population will live in cities, with nearly 60 per cent of urban residents under the age of 18 by 2030. This demographic shift underscores the necessity of including youth in urban planning to ensure sustainable, resilient communities.

In the lead-up to World Cities Day, Haoliang Xu, Under Secretary-General and UN Development Programme (UNDP) Associate Administrator, shared an inspiring example of a young innovator from Nepal who launched an online food delivery service that thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“One area for work that makes me feel very encouraged is where we work with young people and their use of digital technology,” he said in an interview with UN News.

International initiatives like the Pact for the Future and the Declaration on Future Generations seek to prioritise youth voices in shaping sustainable urban environments. Proposed actions include establishing youth councils, integrating youth representatives into local governments, and fostering ongoing dialogue between young people and policymakers.  

Local inclusion as a pillar of sustainable urban development  

These efforts aim to create cities that are not only sustainable and resilient but also reflective of the diverse local voices and needs of all inhabitants, both present and future.

Discussing the importance of listening to local voices, Mr. Xu stated, “If our urban governments look at their work with the lens of effectiveness, accountability, and inclusion, we can move even faster to achieve our common goals of SDG 11 and also the goals in the New Urban Agenda”. 

The Local 2030 initiative, supported by 16 UN agencies and various governments also aims “to mobilise the local governments, authorities, together with communities, to focus on local development challenges, which include a lot of urban issues” explained Mr. Xu, highlighting the UNDP’s commitment to community-centred urban planning.