Report on the Mayor's mission to South America - Montréal contributes to the adoption of the New Urban Agenda of the United Nations Habitat III Conference

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 19, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The Mayor of Montréal, the Honourable Denis Coderre, drew up a positive balance of his mission to South America, which took place from October 12 to 18. The Mayor visited Bogota (Columbia) where he attended the 5th World Council of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) – World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders 2016. He then flew to Quito (Ecuador) where he participated in the 3rd United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Development (Habitat III). These high-profile events led to several productive meetings with key leaders of international organizations involved in urban challenges and with some 300 mayors and other local leaders from around the world.

"The leadership and pro-activity of Montréal on the international scene for these two major events are vital. Not only did we contribute to the adoption of the New Urban Agenda as part of the Habitat III Conference, which will meet the urbanization challenges of the 21st century or the next 20 years, but we also highlighted the Montréal expertise and achievements in various fields, including sustainable development, "Living Together" and metropolitan governance. We have also engaged in discussions with various participating cities for future cooperation and partnerships. This was an excellent opportunity to show our urban diplomacy," said the Mayor of Montréal.

Bogota: Summit of Local and Regional Leaders
The Summit of Local and Regional Leaders, which was organized by the Congress of United Cities and Local Governments, with "Local Voices for a Better World" as a theme, brought together more than 3,000 representatives of cities, metropolises and regions, civil society, the business community and academic sector. The Mayor of Montréal took part in several panels, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) panel, titled "Champion Mayors for an Inclusive City," accompanied by the Secretary-General of the organization, Angel Gurria.

On the margins of the summit, the Mayor of Montréal presided over a meeting of the board of directors of Metropolis, the world association of metropolises, of which he is the president, and which led to the adoption of the association's strategic guidelines. He also attended a meeting of the UCLG Executive Office, of which he is the Vice-President. Mayor Coderre took advantage of the platform provided by the UCLG general meeting to reiterate to the members of the association his invitation to participate in the 2017 Metropolis World Congress, which will be held in Montréal next June, coinciding with Montréal's 375th anniversary.

Quito: Habitat III Conference
The 3rd United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Development (Habitat III) takes place until October 20, in Quito (Ecuador), with "Sustainable Urban Development: The Future of Urbanization?" as a theme. This high-profile event is vital since it is held every 20 years.

The Mayor of Montréal contributed to the discussions on the New Urban Agenda that was adopted as part of the conference which focuses on the challenges posed by the fight against poverty and inequalities, and identifies the new challenges for the next 20 years. He helped in the advancement of priority challenges for Montréal and Metropolis, as part of several meetings involving the environment, climate change and resilience, social economy, as well as the private sector and partners for sustainable development. He also promoted the ICLEI World Congress – International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, to be held in Montréal in 2018.

Together with other mayors, Mayor Coderre pleaded in favour of increased participation of cities within international bodies. As part of a ceremony organized under his initiative, the Mayor of Montréal, along with other mayors, emphasized the outstanding work of UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, especially in acknowledging the increasing role of urban and city issues in terms of world challenges.

SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Cabinet du maire et du comité exécutif

Source: Marc-André Gosselin, Attaché de presse, Cabinet du maire et du comité exécutif, 514 290-1194; Information: François Goneau, Relationniste, Service des communications, 514 868-5859