The work the Living-in.eu movement on the digital transformation at local level resonates globally.

An UN report of the Secretary-General published on 7 March 2022 takes stock of the progress to date in implementing the New Urban Agenda, the UN’s strategy to drive sustainable urban development at the local level, in support of the Sustainable Development Goals  (2030 Agenda).

The report emphasises that “the pandemic has expedited the digitalization trend, which in some cases has proved to be a positive disruption towards sustainable living in cities” but regrets that many countries in the world don’t have policies in place to address sustainable urbanisation.

 In the document, the Living-in.EU community is acknowledged as an example “for steering “smart city” development beyond a technological concept to an approach that incorporates the principles of inclusion, human rights and ecological sustainability”, along with the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.

The Report will be discussed at a High Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on 28 April on Progress in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.

Eddy Hartog, Head of Unit, Technologies for Smart Communities, DG CONNECT, will present Living-in.EU and EU smart communities policy at a side on the Role of Innovation and Technology in accelerating sustainable Urbanisation  on 25 April.

You can read the report here.

UN-Habitat works with partners to build inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities, promoting urbanization as a positive transformative force for people and communities, reducing inequality, discrimination and poverty.

The UN New Urban Agenda was adopted in 2016 and sets out a common vision and global standards for urban development to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development (SDGs), particularly SDG 11– Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The European Union and its Member States have been instrumental in shaping the New Urban Agenda, which shares the vision and objectives of the Urban Agenda for the European Union.