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GFHS-2024
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Invigorating Innovation and Local Leadership for a Sustainable Urban Future

– The 19th Global Forum on Human Settlements Successfully Held 

at UN Headquarters 

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(New York, October 24) As a follow-up discussion and action of the United Nations Summit of the Future, the 19th Annual Session of Global Forum on Human Settlements and New Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards Ceremony (GFHS 2024) was successfully held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on October 24, the UN Day, with the theme being “Invigorate Innovation and Local Leadership for a Sustainable Urban Future”. The forum brought together nearly 400 professional participants including 20+ ambassadors, representing 40+ countries. It was broadcast live on UN WEB TV. 

Distinguished speakers at the opening session

The forum was addressed by dozens of honorable guests including Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, Chairman of Global Forum on Human Settlements, former UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative, Ambassador Harold Adlai Agyeman, Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations, Vice Chairman of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly, Dr. Ivor Richard Fung, Chief of Staff, Office of the President of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly, Ambassador Odo Tevi, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Vanuatu to the United Nations, Ms. Paola Albrito, Director of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Ms. Lisa Flavia Garcia, Regional Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), United States, among others. Mr. Haifeng Lyu, Co-founder & Secretary General of Global Forum on Human Settlements and Co-Chairman of Global Human Settlements Foundation presided at the opening and delivered a closing remarks.


Ambassador Harold Adlai Agyeman pointed out that multilevel governance is important for driving urbanisation in the direction we want. Sustainable development remains a long-term investment challenge and new public and private financing has to be evolved to address the growing need for affordable, well-planned, and sustainable human urban settlements. Innovation and leadership should not discount the unique solutions that individuals and entities in local communities offer for sustainability.


Prof. Carlos Moreno, the Father of the 15-Minute City, Scientist and Professor at IAE - Paris1 Sorbonne University shared that in the face of the climate emergency, economic crises, and social tensions in our increasingly urbanized world, polycentric proximity emerges as the most effective resilience strategy for creating more livable and prosperous cities—serving as the key to enhancing our everyday lives, the “Proxilience”. It’s essential that city leaders join the efforts in implementing innovative strategies. Together, we can create thriving, vibrant neighborhoods and make cities more livable for everyone.


The Annual Session of Global Forum on Human Settlements is one of the most important conferences worldwide focusing on sustainable cities and human settlements, and has been hosted at the United Nations headquarters and on five continents for 19 consecutive years. This is the fourth time that the annual meeting has been held in New York.


As an important observance of the World Cities Day, this year’s 19th Annual Session was co-organized and supported by more than 20 leading organizations, including United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), European Committee of the Regions (CoR), European Union, International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), International Ocean Institute (IOI), Urban Land Institute (ULI), Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), and others.


In the course of addressing the multiple crises and challenges as well as meeting the SDGs and the climate goal, innovation plays a fundamental role, has shaped and will continue to reshape our cities and human settlements. Forward-looking local governments and city leaders are uniquely positioned to harness the power of integrated innovation to improve governance and enhance livability, resilience, prosperity and sustainability of cities and communities. Participants had collaborative and productive dialogue and deliberation on 10 key issues, and offered scientific solutions and policy recommendations.

GFHS 2024 at ECOSOC Chamber, UN Headquarters

The forum sent a strong message to accelerate innovation and invigorate leadership to ensure a just, smart and green urban transformation and achieve a sustainable urban future for all. The forum particularly called for facilitating a swift decoupling and decarbonization in a coordinated manner, implementing integrated urban planning and design, providing people-oriented and pedestrian-friendly public space, developing zero-carbon and zero-waste buildings, communities, industrial parks and cities, scaling up nature-positive strategies and solutions, directing and redirecting public and private funds for sustainable cities, promoting green lifestyles, and empowering youth to shape the future of cities.


Backed by the Global Human Settlements Foundation (GHSF), the SCAHSA in 2024 has been fully upgraded to the "New Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards" (abbreviated as the "New SCAHSA"), positioning itself as a global top prize for a sustainable urban future. It commits to recognize and reward outstanding innovation and leadership in making sustainable cities and human settlements, including climate actions and sustainability practices, and promote their innovative strategies, technologies and approaches as well as success experience. 


The New SCAHSA was grandly held in the evening at the UN Headquarters where the long-awaited list of winners was announced. It is reported that more than 400 applications were received in 2024. After strict review by the Jury, 21 applications were shortlisted spanning across 8 categories, and 13 applications were finally awarded. The winners were awarded crystal trophy and prize money. Finalists were presented with a medal certificate of honor to motivate further excellence. Senior UN officials and ambassadors attended as award presenters. The guests present were in ebullient mood, shouting out the name of the awards “SCAHSA” to cheer for sustainability champions and their actions! The voice of green once again resounded throughout the United Nations Headquarters.

Awarders and awardees at New Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards Ceremony 2024

Some of the awardees include Prof. Carlos Moreno, the Father of the 15-Minute City, Scientist and Professor at IAE - Paris1 Sorbonne University; the National Initiative for Smart Green Projects by the Government of Egypt; Bison Land, Neamt County, Romania; the Successful practice of desertification control, afforestation, and ecological restoration for over 70 years in Youyu County, China; Global Model of Smart Green Building: China Overseas Building; Gravitational Vortex Water Turbine by Turbulent, Belgium; Juxi Village, a thousand-year-old village in Zhejiang Province known as the "Third Holy Land of Confucianism" in China, among others. (The complete list of awardees can be accessed here: http://www.gfhsforum.org/award). 


GFHS 2024 reached a consensus on a set of outcomes and recommended a batch of outstanding exemplary sustainable development practices and innovations. Breakthrough innovative achievements were presented at the forum, demonstrating replicable leadership and action. The forum has made positive contribution to the implementation of the SDGs, the Paris Agreement and the realization of a sustainable urban future.

(By the Department of Public Information, GFHS)