The meeting of the Forum of Ministers and Highest Authorities of Housing and Urbanism of Latin America and the Caribbean (MINURVI): Climate Resilience and Sustainable Growth in Human Settlements in Latin America and the Caribbean, will be held on Thursday, August 1, and Friday, August 2, 2024, in Brasília, Brazil. The meeting will primarily focus on climate resilience and sustainable growth in human settlements in Latin America and the Caribbean.

During the event, topics will include biodiversity and climate change resilience in human settlements in Latin America and the Caribbean, Build Back Better: an approach to post-disaster recovery for more resilient cities, and land and climate change. Additionally, a ministerial debate will be held to exchange and share experiences, best practices, and proposals to promote urban resilience.

The meeting will feature a diverse group of participants, including ministers and high-level authorities from Latin American and Caribbean countries, academics, and civil society representatives to foster a richer discussion.

The XXXII General Assembly of MINURVI, the Forum of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Housing and Urbanism of Latin America and the Caribbean, was held in Buenos Aires on 9 and 10 November 2023. During the meeting, 21 countries signed the Buenos Aires Declaration, highlighting the need to increase funding for climate change adaptation programmes and measures in cities.

In the declaration, authorities committed to addressing qualitative and quantitative housing deficits through new approaches that promote more efficient use of real estate and urbanised land, with special attention to inclusiveness and gender mainstreaming. They also agreed to implement policies to avoid excessive growth in land prices and to develop instruments to capture land value. In addition, they worked on promoting sustainable, smart, and inclusive urban mobility, as well as strengthening the integrality of urban and mobility planning.

The forum was attended by representatives from 21 Latin American and Caribbean countries, together with UN agencies, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), the World Bank and delegates from civil society organisations. The forum once again highlighted the need to strengthen inter-institutional coordination for the development, financing and implementation of policies towards inclusive and sustainable growth in the region's cities.

For more information on the 32nd MINURVI General Assembly, please click on the link in the right column.

To view the recording and final declaration of the Assembly, please go to the "Event Information - Attachments" section of this page.

This event offers an opportunity to place crucial topics for the future of our cities on the discussion agenda, including the link between sustainable mobility, housing, and urban development.

The project "Inclusive, Sustainable, and Smart Cities within the Framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean,", part of the CEPAL-BMZ/GIZ cooperation program, focuses on strengthening the technical and institutional conditions to promote development in urban areas of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Additionally, CEPAL, MINURVI, MERCOCIUDADES, and the IDB share concerns about having more detailed information to improve the design and implementation of public policies, subsidies, and financing for addressing housing deficits.

Within this context, two sessions are proposed with the participation of national authorities, local governments, and representatives from financial organizations and development support institutions. The panels aim to facilitate dialogue and discussion between local and national levels, with the goal of promoting better urban public policies.

For more information about the event, please click on the link in the right column.

The repercussions of interrelated global crises, such as climate change, COVID-19, and conflict, are being experienced in all corners of the world. Within urban areas, pre-existing inequalities have been further exposed, financial resources have been constrained, and limited capabilities to develop and implement urban solutions have heightened vulnerabilities and have led to continued unsustainable patterns of urbanization.

Given the persistent lag in progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across all regions, it is imperative for cities—where the majority of SDGs intersect—to take the lead in economic recovery efforts, foster resilience, and expedite the adoption of sustainable solutions that contribute to the SDGs.

As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately impacted urban areas,[1] the strength and resilience of cities and urban centres are essential to drive recoveries, guard against future shocks and stresses, and overcome the setbacks towards achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and the New Urban Agenda.    

In this context, action is needed across all levels of governance, to localize the SDGs, taking into account local, national and regional contexts while mobilizing the engagement of all stakeholders, and leveraging the support of the UN system. 

The side event will focus on regional efforts to accelerate progress against the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting how region-specific normative guidance and partnerships can accelerate actions, enhance data collection and support cities to undertake Voluntary Local Reviews. 

The event will also highlight how intergovernmental platforms, national and regional fora and regional profiles on progress of SDGs can be leveraged to build momentum and partnerships to contribute to the Decade of Action.  Building on the regional reviews of SDG11 progress conducted in the respective regional forums on sustainable development, the event will draw on recent data and case studies related to localization and progress against urban-related SDGs. 

City stakeholders and representatives of UN entities will present key efforts, including national and regional forums (e.g. Asia Pacific Urban Forum, UNECE Forum of Mayors, national urban forums), normative guidance including for VLRs, and capacity building efforts supporting cities to build resilience and recover from interlinked crises.

The objectives of the side event are to:

• Highlight common and/or differentiated challenges to localize the SDGs across regions and exchange best practices across regions
• Share tools and normative guidance developed by the UN entities (Regional Commissions, UN-Habitat, UN-DESA) and partners to support localization efforts in respective regions
• Foster dialogue and exchange on best practices across regions
• Promote further SDG Localization, including through Voluntary Local Reviews

Organizer(s)

• UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP),
• UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
• UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
• UN Economic Commission for Latin America and Caribbean (ECLAC)
• UN Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA)

Moderator

Mr. Sangmin Nam, Director, Environment and Development Division, ESCAP

Speaker(s)

• Ms. Norliza Hashim, Chief Executive, Urbanice Malaysia
• Mrs. Fabiana Goyenece, Director of International Relations and Cooperation

• Municipality of Montevideo and Executive Secretary of Mercociudades, Uruguay

• Mr. Serhii Komnatnyi, Chairman of the State Fund for the Promotion of Youth Housing Construction of Ukraine
• Mr. Amine Idrissi Belkasmi, Director of the Urban Agency of Agadir, Morocco

[1] UN Secretary General, COVID-19 in an Urban World. 2020  https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/sg_policy_brief_covid_urban_world_july_2020.pdf

Context: In the framework of the C40 Mayors Summit to be held in Buenos Aires from October 19-21, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), together with the Government of the City of Buenos Aires and Enel, is holding the side event entitled: "Cities Collaborating Towards Circularity: Latin American and European Experiences".

The role of cities in guiding the transition to the circular economy has grown considerably, as has the need for collaboration among them to establish common goals. In particular, two initiatives stand out: the Declaration of Circular Cities of Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Circular City Declaration, with the aim of providing a common framework and promoting collaboration and synergies.

The objective of the event is to bring these actors together and value the contribution in the development of strategies and initiatives for circular city development models, while addressing the inevitable challenges and obstacles on this path.

Objectives:

Consolidate the exchange in a face-to-face meeting with the signatory cities of the Declaration of Circular Cities of Latin America and the Caribbean and especially inviting cities and institutions that are addressing the issue.

The event consists of two panels of 30 minutes each. The first will be the vision of stakeholders and institutions on how to support the transition to a circular model in cities. The second will address case studies of cities to learn how cities that have signed the Declaration and those invited to participate in the C40 are addressing the issue today.

The XXX General Assembly of the Forum of Ministers and Highest Authorities of Housing and Urban Development of Latin America and the Caribbean (MINURVI) was held on November 22 and 23, 2021 in the city of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

This meeting provided a space for the exchange of experiences, studies and programs on housing and urban development with the objective of: i) transforming the living conditions of Latin American and Caribbean countries and ii) placing housing and habitat as pillars for achieving economic recovery in the Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC), in the face of the impacts of an unprecedented regional and global health emergency.

The Assembly addressed three thematic areas: i) national urban policies, ii) housing financing and iii) urban development trends in Latin America and the Caribbean, which were developed in depth during the first day through panels, conferences and exchanges with the participation of authorities, technicians and regional experts.
On the second day, the ministerial dialogue was held, which opened the election of the next country in charge of the presidency and the members of the Executive Committee for the period 2021- 2022 of MINURVI, and the signing of the Declaration of Cartagena de Indias of the Thirtieth Assembly.

Please find attached the ECLAC publication "Housing and Habitat as Pillars of Economic Recovery: Speeches at the 30th MINURVI General Assembly" where you will find a summary of the papers and presentations of the XXX General Assembly of the Forum of Ministers and Highest Authorities of Housing and Urban Development of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Please scroll down the Agenda below to see the details and download the materials of this activity.

The project "Inclusive, sustainable and smart cities in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean", of the cooperation program between ECLAC, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), focuses on strengthening the technical and institutional conditions to promote sustainable development in the field of action of urban connectivity. The project has as its structuring axis the big push for sustainability approach, according to which the post-COVID-19 recovery of cities should be characterized by better environmental practices, more qualified jobs, production with a higher technological content and coordination between private investments and a strategic vision formulated by the States.

The concept of circular economy has been gaining more and more relevance, especially because of its cross-cutting nature across economic sectors. The transition to a circular economy implies a profound change in the way we produce and consume, as well as the development of economic models that create value in a sustainable manner. For this reason, the objective of this event is to update the state of the art of the implementation of the circular economy in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region, presenting studies and initiatives in the region in different sectors. It will also present cases of development and implementation of technologies and policies in this area, as a way of sharing experiences, contributing to the fulfillment of global decarbonization goals.

The agenda will be developed as follows:

Block 1: State of knowledge or progress of the circular economy (CE) in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region.

Block 2: Technologies and initiatives for circularity in various sectors.

Block 3: State of progress towards circularity in cities and countries - technologies and policies

Block 4: Policies needed to accelerate the implementation of CE in LAC (contrasting technologies and policies)

The Forum of Ministers and Highest Authorities of Housing and Urban Development of Latin America and the Caribbean - MINURVI is the intergovernmental coordination and cooperation entity that promotes the sustainable development of human settlements, and is composed of the ministers of state and governmental authorities under whose jurisdiction are, in their respective countries, matters related to housing and urban development.

In order to address the housing deficit while facing the challenges of climate change and promoting the development of the value chain of sustainable construction and housing, it is imminent to deepen the diagnoses and collaboration between the different actors involved.

In this regard, and in order to provide innovative and effective solutions to the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Ministerial Meeting on: Financing for climate change mitigation in urban settlements, which was led by the presidency of Minurvi in charge of Minister Santiago Maggiotti, Minister of Territorial Development and Habitat of Argentina (2022-2023).

The objective of this meeting was to discuss possible strategies to create a regional financing fund that would contribute in a concessional manner to the incremental costs of projects and programs with a significant impact on increasing resilience to climate change and/or reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The event took place on April 10 and 11, 2023 at the Kirchner Cultural Center in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. It was attended by 28 member countries and ECLAC was represented in its role as Technical Secretariat of Minurvi.

Please scroll down the Agenda below to see the details and download the materials of this activity.

With the aim of sharing experiences and fostering debate on housing, habitat and urban development in Latin America and the Caribbean, MINURVI's virtual discussion forums were held during September and October 2023, led by the Ministry of Housing, City and Territory of Colombia, which assumed the vice-presidency of MINURVI for the period 2023. The three Forums focused on central themes such as energy, territory, land management and climate change mitigation in relation to housing and urban development.

National and sub-national governments in the region were invited to submit experiences and good practices to nurture the exchange of experiences and in preparation for the XXXII MINURVI General Assembly to be held on 9 and 10 November in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The topics and dates of the Forums were:

The recording of the event (in Spanish) is available by clicking on the attached link.

In a context shaped by unprecedented global challenges, the Fifth Housing and Habitat Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean concluded with a unanimous call to consider housing as a fundamental tool to address the climate and social crisis affecting the region. Organized by Habitat for Humanity, in collaboration with strategic partners and convened through the Urban Habitat and Housing Practice Platform (UHPH), the event took place in Bogota, Colombia, from July 31 to August 2, 2023.

The Forum, the only one of its kind in the region, brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including government representatives, sustainable development experts, community leaders and academics, who came together to analyze and co-construct comprehensive and innovative solutions that respond to current housing and urban challenges.

The region has faced increasing challenges related to climate change and social inequality, exacerbated by the global health emergency. The housing deficit, which has been a constant challenge, has become even more acute, underscoring the urgent need to address these problems from a comprehensive, horizontally and vertically coordinated and sustainable perspective. In this edition, the central theme was housing as a cornerstone in the fight against the climate crisis and the social problems aggravated by the pandemic.

For three days, experts and various stakeholders interested in housing, urban planning and sustainable development participated in panels, lectures and working sessions to address these critical issues. The participation of the Human Settlements Unit of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) strengthened the connection between the discussions and regional policies.

One of the highlights of the Forum was the panel entitled "Challenges in housing and settlements in the face of climate change and the social crisis," with the participation of Diego Aulestia, Chief of the Unit, who shared valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing the region in the area of housing and habitat. The panel presented innovative approaches to ensure decent housing in harmony with the environment and resilient to climate change.

The Fifth Housing and Habitat Forum reaffirmed the commitment of multiple stakeholders to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in the region. It also highlighted the importance of intersectoral collaboration and the joint search for solutions to address emerging challenges.

The presentation by Diego Aulestia, Chief of ECLAC's Human Settlements Unit is available above. More information on the event, as well as the agenda, can be found in the attached link.