The 2022 World Cities Day Global Home Event and the 2nd Global Conference on Urban Sustainable Development was Held in Shanghai

October 31^st is the World Cities Day. The opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cities Day Global Home Event and the 2^nd Global Conference on Urban Sustainable Development, with the theme of Act local, to Go Global, was held in the world reception hall located in the north bund of Shanghai. President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the 2022 World Cities Day Global Home Event and the 2^nd Global Conference on Urban Sustainable Development.

Chen Jining, the Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Committee, read out the message and made a speech. António Guterres, UN Secretary General and the Executive Director, sent a congratulatory letter. Ni Hong, Minister of Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China;Gong Zheng, Deputy Secretary-General and Mayor of Shanghai Municipality, Maimunah Mohd Sharif,Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN-Habitat and Li Junhua, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, delivered speeches respectively. Jiang Zhuoqing, Director of Shanghai People's Congress attended the ceremony. 

To make great efforts to explore and construct Shanghai model of urban modernization and sustainable development

Chen Jining pointed out that the congratulatory letter from President Xi Jinping fully embodies the great importance of sustainable development from Chinese government , and deeply illuminates the great significance of city sustainable development for the development layout of common welfare, balance, coordination, inclusiveness, win-win cooperation and common prosperity. He also expresses the sincere wishes to promote the UN 2030 development agenda and New Urban Agenda, leading the way for our exploration of sustainable development. Shanghai will earnestly study and implement the spirit of congratulatory letter from President Xi Jinping, adheres to the modernization construction blueprint,depicted from the concluded the twentieth National Congress of the China’s Communist Party, insist on that the people's city is constructed by the people and people’s city should be for the people. We will make the practice for the cities to make better life, integrate the sustainable development into urban planning, construction, management and other aspects, promote high-quality development, create high-quality life, and realize efficient governance, strive to explore and form a Shanghai model of urban modernization and sustainable development, and further make due contributions to deepening inter-city exchanges and cooperation and promoting global sustainable development.

To adhere that the people's city is constructed by the people and people’s city should be for the people, to improve urban planning, construction and governance and to construct livable, resilient and smart city.

In the video, Ni Hong said that the congratulatory letter from President Xi Jinping fully reflects the great importance attached to sustainable urban development and strong support for the work of UN Habitat. With a distinct theme, this year's event which is of great significance to promoting exchanges and cooperation among cities of all countries, promoting the realization of the sustainable development goals and improving people's well-being. The just concluded 20^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has put forward new goals and requirements for urban development. The Chinese government will To adhere that the people's city is constructed by the people and people’s city should be for the people, to improve urban planning, construction and governance and to construct livable, resilient and smart city. We are ready to work with the international community to further make new progress in sustainable urban development, with people's satisfaction as the benchmark, scientific and technological innovation as the guide, green as the strongest background, culture as the enduring force, and security as the bottom line, for a better future for the people of all countries.

To deeply implement the concept of people's city, leave the best resources to the people, and serve the people with high-quality supplies

Gong pointed out that Shanghai is implementing the spirit of the 20^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in accordance with the arrangements of the central government to further speed up the construction of a modern socialist international metropolis with world influence. We will be guided by Xi Jinping’s vision of ecological progress, implement the new vision of development, vividly portray the connotation and features of Chinese-style modernization, and contribute more Shanghai wisdom and strength to the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We will work hard to promote high-quality development, create a quality of life and achieve efficient governance. We will coordinate industrial restructuring, pollution control, ecological protection, address climate change and promote green and low-carbon transformation. We will deeply implement the concept of people's city, leave the best resources to the people, and serve the people with high-quality supplies. We will adhere to the concept of full-cycle management, deepen digitization of governance, and accelerate the building of resilient cities.

To positively expand the cooperation, share experiences and improve resolution to further build a sustainable, inclusive, safety and resilient world for all

In her video message, Maimunah Mohd Sharif said that cities are crucial to achieving the sustainable development goals. More than half of the world's population now lives in urban areas. By 2050, the percentage is expected to reach two-thirds or more. Cities should be at the forefront of concrete actions to implement the sustainable development goals, actively expanding cooperation, sharing experience and improve resolution to further build a sustainable, inclusive, safety and resilient world for all. 

Shanghai Index aims to measure the progress of sustainable cities around the world, and now Shanghai is being piloted in more than 20 global cities participating in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Cities flagship program

Before the opening ceremony, Chen Jining, Gong Zheng and other officials visited the World Cities Day Urban Development case exhibition and listened to the introduction of the World Cities Day global events.

Jiang Wanrong, Vice Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, presided over the opening ceremony. Shanghai leaders Zhuge Yujie, Chen Jing, Peng Jinglei, Li Yiping attended the ceremony. Wu Qing, Standing Committee member of Shanghai Municipal Committee and Executive Vice Mayor, and Xu Haoliang, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations made keynote speeches respectively. Maimunah Mohd Sharif released the 2022 edition of Shanghai Manual. The Global Sustainable Development Award (Shanghai Award) and the Shanghai Index promotion video were also played. 

The World Cities Day event returned to its birthplace in Shanghai after eight years. The event included the opening ceremony, outcome release, round-table forum, thematic forum, theme exhibition and related supporting activities. Representatives from relevant departments and cities at home and abroad, officials from Chinese embassies and consulates, experts and scholars in urban planning and construction management were invited.

In order to promote the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, UN-Habitat, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government jointly established the Global Sustainable Development Award (Shanghai Award), which aims to recognize outstanding cities that have made outstanding progress in the field of sustainable development. The first award will be presented in 2023. Designed to measure the progress of sustainable cities around the world, the Shanghai Index is being piloted in more than 20 global cities participating in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Cities flagship program. Pilot applications of innovation in nearly 100 cities in China's five major city clusters and five new cities in Shanghai are also proceeding smoothly.

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Translated by: Wang Yue