Transforming a Billion Lives – From Slums to Sustainable Neighbourhoods

The event aims to demonstrate how Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP) that is implemented in 35 countries in the African, Caribbean and Pacific Regions as transformative programme that is bringing positive urban change at regional, national, city and community levels by advocating for and initiating projects focused on achieving integrated, inclusive and incremental in-situ upgrading approach to informal settlements and slums. The event will further demonstrate the role, effectiveness and commitment of the tripartite partnership between the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP), European Commission (EC) and UN-Habitat on the PSUP and value of the partnership in contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Target 11.1 and its linkage and adaptability to implementing the New Urban Agenda principles and levers. Through a regional, gender and institutional representative panel made up of representatives from the ACP, EC, UN-Habitat and interested PSUP implementing countries, the event is planned to be conducted through the ‘talk-shop’ model. The panelists will provide contribution to key topics related to the PSUP approach and its role to contributing to transformation of the 1 Billion Slum Dwellers worldwide within the framework set by the SDG 11.1 and the New Urban Agenda. The participants will take active role in the discussion by moderated interaction with the panelists. The objectives of the event are to demonstrate: 1) National priorities identified enhance PSUP to achieve New Urban Agenda goals on urban poverty and integration of informal settlements 2) Spatial planning as a way of promoting inclusion contributes to sustainable urban development including achieving sustainable neighborhoods through consideration of energy and transport needs of all people to counter rising number of slum and informal settlements dwellers. 3) Demonstrate how resilience in informal settlements can be achieved.