CSCI Side Event on Sustainable Urbanisation at CHOGM2022
During an intense week of activity in Kigali, Commonwealth partners, city mayors, ministers, representatives of civil society, built environment professionals, technical experts, development partners and private sector partners from all regions of the Commonwealth came together to promote the Call to Action with the support of key stakeholders including Rwandan Minister of Infrastructure, Hon Dr Ernest Nsabimana and UN-Habitat’s Executive Director, HE Maimunah Mohd Sharif.
The event emphasised the importance of effective partnerships and collaboration between all levels of government and other key stakeholders to ensure sustainable urban development. It also highlighted ongoing initiatives which illustrate the way in which the Commonwealth is already coming together to develop solutions that are both scalable and replicable.
During the course of the week, leaders from 20 national architecture, engineering, and planning associations from Africa and beyond came together to sign a collaboration commitment (The Kigali Commitment) in support of the Call to Action on Sustainable Urbanisation across the Commonwealth.
CAA and CAP host Presidents Roundtable at CHOGM2022
On 22 June, the Commonwealth Association of Architects and the Commonwealth Association of Planners, working in partnership with the Rwandan Institute of Architects, the Institute of Engineers Rwanda, and the Rwandan Urban Planning Institute, hosted a multi-disciplinary Presidents Roundtable for 20 representatives of national architectural, engineering and planning institutes from East Africa and beyond.
Leaders came together to consider how they can contribute to implementation of the Call to Action on Sustainable Urbanisation across the Commonwealth and resolved to commit themselves to work together in a multi-disciplinary collaboration:
- To champion and ensure that sustainable urbanisation and climate action (mitigation and adaptation) is at the heart of our common future and is firmly rooted in the Built Environment Professions (e.g., architecture, engineering and planning, economists, surveyors, environmental specialists, and finance experts etc.) ethics, standards, principles, data and policies.
- To develop and promote a Commonwealth dialogue in our respective jurisdictions and networks to define and implement a new way of working towards transparent and accountable multi-level governance, sustainable urbanisation, and climate action.
- To lead the development of new partnerships and strategies within and between the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, and at all levels of government to achieve a Commonwealth-led response to the challenges and opportunities of sustainable urbanisation and climate change.
- To come together between and at Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings to review progress and to look for further opportunities to take practical action to address sustainable urbanisation, climate change, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
- To promote and celebrate the Built Environment Professions as experts in sustainable urbanisation and in taking climate action, and to jointly advocate for the Call to Action to Commonwealth Heads of Government and other associated international organisations.
- To invite the Presidents of all Built Environment Professions to engage in and implement the Call to Action on Sustainable Urbanisation.
Published: 21 June 2022