World Bank-led events and activities [Download PDF]:
1. Special Session on Local Economic Development
Date: Tuesday, October 18
Time: 8:00–10:00 a.m.
Venue: Room 1 – Cine Alfredo Pareja, Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana
Description: Cities are global and national engines of economic growth, generating more than 80% of global GDP and house more than 50% of the population. To capitalize on economic success, city decision makers need to take action now. Decisions taken by city leaders today will be long lasting and hence have the potential of building long-term success or send their cities down a path of unsustainable development. This session presented a case driven framework to foster competitive city through policies, tools, and analytics.
2. The New Urban Agenda and the Role of the Multilateral Development Banks
Date: Tuesday, October 18
Time: 2:00–4:00 p.m.
Venue: The Urban Stage, 2nd Floor, Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana "Benjamin Carrion"
Description: The "New Urban Agenda" calls on multilateral development banks (MDBs) engaged in urban development to enhance coordination and partnership of their strategies, and to apply an integrated approach to sustainable urbanization and eradicating poverty. This session showcased how eight MDBs are putting these words into action by collaborating to promote equitable, sustainable, and productive urbanization and urban communities.
Participating organizations: Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, Development Bank of Latin America, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, World Bank Group
Download biographies of participants here. Read a press release.
3. Dialogue on Municipal Finance and Local Fiscal System Policy
Date: Wednesday, October 19
Time: 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Venue: Room 16 – Teatro Demetrio Aguilera Casa De La Cultura
Description: This Dialogue focused on the financing aspects of the implementation of the New Urban Agenda: how municipalities could access, leverage and manage the fiscal and financial resources need to implement the New Urban Agenda and to meet the needs of local populations.
4. Investing in Urban Resilience: Making Cities and the Urban Poor More Resilient
Date: Thursday, October 20
Time: 1:00–1:45 p.m.
Venue: Urban Library – Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana "Benjamin Carrion"
Description: Co-authored by the World Bank Group and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the Investing in Urban Resilience: Making Cities and the Urban Poor More Resilient report looked at the both the economic and human costs to cities from natural disasters and climate change; what it will take to finance cities’ resilience to environmental, technological and socio-economic shocks and stresses; and explores the window of opportunity that has opened for governments to tap into much-needed capital.
5. World Bank exhibition booth
Conference participants joined us in the Exhibition Hall, October 15-20, and met World Bank Urban Specialists to explore the World Bank’s material on sustainable cities and communities.
Speakers from the World Bank were also invited to participate in various other events at Habitat III.
