Regional Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean Rumbo Habitat III
PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Dr. Eruviel Ávila, Governor of the State of Mexico; Prof. Rosario Robles Berlanga, Secretary of Agrarian, Land and Urban Development; Amb. Miguel Ruiz Cabanas, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Senator Ana Lilia Herrera, president of the Mexican Parliamentarians on Habitat and Habitat III Secretariat representatives, announced today that the capital of the State of Mexico, will host the Regional Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean towards Habitat III Conference will be held on 18 to 20 April by 2016.
The Regional Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean will bring together parliamentarians, national and local authorities, ministers, policy makers, academics, civil society, private sector, and public institutions in the 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries, whose representatives will define the regional position to be presented in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016. Amb. Miguel Ruiz Cabanas, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of the Foreign Ministry, said that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development underlining the urgent need to reverse current trends of urban development, characterized by rapid growth, which leads to high social and environmental costs . He added that the Agenda 2030 represents an opportunity for Latin American and Caribbean countries to promote their own agenda move towards sustainable urban development.
Therefore, and as a contribution from Mexico to the success of the Habitat III Conference, to be held in Quito in October, Undersecretary Ruiz Cabañas announced the completion in Spain of two meetings: a thematic session on financing urban development that will host Mexico City in March and the regional meeting in April in the city of Toluca, which will have the theme “liveable and inclusive cities, the global challenge of sustainable urbanization”.
Regarding the state of the Latin American and Caribbean Coordinator of the Secretariat of Habitat III, Ana B. Moreno, explained that urban challenges in the region are linked to the fact that one in four people in urban areas he is poor and inequality rates in the region are among the highest in the world. Urban growth in this region has led to new conglomerates such as metropolitan areas or mega urban regions, which bring together multiple municipalities and offer new development opportunities, but also require innovative systems of governments and coordinated.
Ms. Ana Moreno said the Regional Meeting of Toluca give voice to the region and contribute to the definition of policies and urban solutions to global urban paradigm shift.
Senator by the State of Mexico, Ana Lilia Herrera Anzaldo, president of the Mexican Parliamentarians on Habitat, said Mexican lawmakers have been working hand-from different federal agencies, civil society organizations and experts on the subject – for Mexico arrived at the meeting in Quito, Ecuador, with an updated legal framework to respond to the challenges of the cities and the country.
The lawmaker said that “if we want to ensure prosperity in this region of the planet a priority addressing from the legislative problems that have made our cities exclusive and unsafe spaces.” He stressed the need to build a legal framework consistent with the challenges of mobility, environmental pollution, lack of competitiveness and road safety presented by cities in Mexico, and other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Dr. Eruviel Ávila, Governor of the State of Mexico, noted that “regional meetings of Habitat III converge with strong participation and high level of discussion about the challenges and opportunities of regions to make cities and human settlements are inclusive, secure and sustainable. “
In this regard, the Governor of the State of Mexico said that the importance of the Regional Meeting, lies in the opportunity to consolidate agreements between the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean considering urbanization processes that characterize us as a region and achieve a position in common . For the State of Mexico and its capital, Toluca, this event means a great opportunity to strengthen public policies that can effectively improve urban development, always aimed at providing a better quality of life for our citizens. Certainly we learn much that we can improve and be proud example for other countries of what we have accomplished in our great state so rich and complex in its urban development.
Secretary Rosario Robles Berlanga stressed that the priority of Mexico during the meeting is to consolidate the establishment of a national urban development policy with full respect for the vision of the three levels of government “that allows us to lay the foundation for sustained development and inclusive “. It is said, “to ensure a policy that respects, of course, the allocation of the town, but that does not remain in the field of local government because the national perspective and the commitments that our country will take in Quito in October lost of this year”. Rosario Robles said that “at the meeting of Toluca is necessary to motivate the exchange of perspectives and experiences of models of territorial management of the region and regional development policies, metropolitan governance, expansion and consolidation of cities, land management, housing , mobility and resilience “.
The Regional Meeting is an opportunity to gather regional perspectives on current and emerging issues on sustainable urbanization and the implementation of the New Urban Agenda will focus on policies and strategies to make cities and territories more sustainable spaces for XXI century.