New Delhi, Oct 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) India’s Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu, on Tuesday called for collective efforts to develop sustainable cities to fulfil global climate commitments and create better opportunities for future generations.
He was addressing the second edition of the ARISE Cities Forum, which kicked off at the India Habitat Centre here, bringing together over 200 delegates from more than 50 cities across 18 countries representing the Global South.
“From resolve to planning, from planning to implementation, and from implementation to results—that should be our way of working. Our goal is to build cities where development reaches every section of society and creates,” the minister said.
Themed “From Bharat to Antalya — Commit. Implement. Deliver,” the Forum features 3 technical plenaries and 14 technical sessions, focusing on the experiences of local governments from the Global South region in advancing urban resilience, sustainability, and equitable and low-carbon development.
The discussions feed into the Delhi Declaration on Local Action for Global Climate Goals 2026, which will be adopted on Wednesday at the forum and presented at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.
Country Representative, UN Women India Shoko Ishikawa, called for gender-responsive and inclusive urban development.
She said, “Drawing on the lessons gained from our initiatives in India, there are three priorities: integrate gender equality into urban planning, climate policies and investments; invest in urban infrastructure and services that strengthen women's safety, mobility and economic participation; and institutionalise women's leadership and accountability in urban climate action.”
She added that UN Women looks forward to working with the ARISE Cities Forum to carry this agenda forward so that women and girls help shape the cities of tomorrow” she s
Director of the National Institute of Urban Affairs, Debolina Kundu, noted that the theme of this year's Forum, "From Bharat to Antalya – Commit, Implement, Deliver," reflects the urgency of moving from climate commitments to action.
“As we look towards COP31, it is important that the experiences, priorities and solutions emerging from our cities find a stronger place in national and global climate conversations,” she remarked.
Secretary General of ICLEI, Gino Van Begin, also spoke of the potential of urban local governments, stating, “Cities are developing innovative solutions, building functioning partnerships and demonstrating pathways towards more resilient, inclusive and sustainable futures. Their experiences and priorities must have a stronger voice in global processes such as the UNFCCC COPs, and this is what the ARISE Cities Forum aims to achieve.”
Day 1 of the ARISE Cities Forum 2026 featured 2 Plenary sessions and 8 technical sessions. The discussions, featuring high-level representatives from city governments, state-level bodies, embassies, UN agencies, development institutions, and experts, spanned topics such as the need for strengthening multilevel action to translate global climate commitments into measurable action on the ground, climate-resilient water management and sustainable energy transition in cities, urban biodiversity and nature-positive cities, positioning entertainment and culture as an actionable lever for systemic urban resilience, building resilient coastal cities and communities, and integrating public health and child- and youth-focused initiatives with climate-resilient urban planning.
A Memorandum of Understanding was also exchanged between Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN) and ICLEI South Asia.
Source: IANS
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