The large-scale academic literature - The Collection of Global Forum on Human Settlements was officially published by China Environmental Publishing Group at the end of 2021 and is distributed globally. The Collection is considered a corpus of research achievements and best practices on sustainable cities and human settlements.

The Collection is an important work celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Global Forum on Human Settlements and contributing to the global commencement of the Decade of Action on the SDGs. In March this year, Global Forum on Human Settlements initiated the donation of the Collection to universities and colleges across the world and this initiative was well received by the academic community. As of press time, more than 30 top universities have received the donation.

The publishing of The Collection is a major event in the course of global urbanization. With 15 years (2005-2020) of accumulation and 3 years of painstaking effort in compiling, collation and editing, the 3.3-million-word magnificent work contains a large pool of brilliant viewpoints and excellent practices contributed by 170+ authorities representing more than 50 countries. Written in Chinese and English, and beautifully illustrated with 1000+ fine images and charts, the visually-friendly Collection was printed with eco-friendly inks and paper and is plastic-free in packaging so as to minimize the impact on the environment.

The Collection aims to provide inspiration and strategic as well as technical guidance for urban policy makers and stakeholders, to promote knowledge innovation and capacity building in the field of sustainable cities and human settlements, and to sing the praises of the individuals, companies and cities that have been advancing green development and to drive the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. It is of great significance to give full play to the value of The Collection by giving universities, especially those with disciplines on cities, architecture, environment, and sustainable development, free access to the important research results.

The Chinese universities that have received the donation include Tsinghua University, Peking University, Renmin University of China, Beijing Forestry University, China Institute of Labor Relations, University of Hong Kong, Lanzhou University, Tianjin University, Fudan University, Tongji University, Wuhan University, Zhejiang University, Sichuan University, Chongqing University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xiamen University, Soochow University, Shenzhen University, Zhengzhou University, Shanxi University, among others. At the same, time, the Collection has been donated to Harvard University in the United States, Oxford University in the United Kingdom, United Nations Library and the National Library of China.

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, Chairman of Global Forum on Human Settlements, Former UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative wrote in the preface that: "the Collection aims to provide reference for stakeholders and young scholars, promote sharing, learning, thinking, and knowledge creation at a wider and deeper level, and facilitate actions.” The Global Forum on Human Settlements looks forward to continuously providing higher-quality publications in the future, and jointly making greater contribution to promoting sustainable development and building a shared community of life on Earth.

As a global non-profit organization recognized by the United Nations system, the Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS) is in the Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC, and is committed to providing a world platform for high-level dialogue and promoting sustainable cities and human settlements for all. GFHS has accomplished a number of cooperation projects with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the United Nations Development Programme, the International Telecommunication Union, the World Meteorological Organization, Asian Development Bank and other international organizations. GFHS has been holding its annual forums at the United Nations and on five continents for 16 consecutive years and generated a series of valuable consensus and academic achievements, making positive contribution to the realization of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Source: China Environment News