Minister Thembi Simelane participates in the High-Level Meeting of General Assembly on the Midterm Review of the New Urban Agenda, 16 to 17 Jul

Thembi Simelane, the Minister of Human Settlements, will from 16-17 July 2026 participate in the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Midterm Review of the New Urban Agenda (NUA).

Gathering under the theme: Delivering Sustainable Urbanization for all: Accelerating and Scaling Implementation of the New Urban Agenda to 2036 Together, the High-Level Meeting is expected to take stock of and share experiences on progress, achievements, gaps and emerging challenges in the implementation of the NUA.

It will also identify and promote priority accelerators, policy innovations, and systemic shifts to advance adequate housing and sustainable urbanization up to 2036, showcase effective practices, scalable solutions, and innovative partnerships, including financing mechanisms, to address gaps and support countries in different to ensure no one is left behind and enhance international cooperation and multilateral engagement to advance sustainable urban development.

The NUA adopted in 2016 set out a vision for sustainable urbanization as a driver of inclusive, resilient and sustainable development, contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other global agendas.

The Minister will use her participating to underscore South Africa's position on inclusive development, people-centred urban development to accelerate the implementation of the NUA, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063.

These imperatives are aligned to the Department's imperatives relating to informal settlements transformation and integrated human settlements development, the provision of adequate housing and climate resilience.

It is expected that the High-Level Meeting will adopt a concise and action-oriented political declaration to renew commitment and accelerate the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.

Enquiries:
Tsekiso Machike
Spokesperson to the Minister
Cell: 077 410 5050
E-mail: [email protected]

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