Buenos Aires, 13 July 2017 – At the end of June, the city of Buenos Aires hosted the 26th General Assembly of MINURVI, an event that gathered housing and urban development officials from Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss the implementation of the New Urban Agenda adopted in Habitat III.

The XXVI General Assembly of MINURVI, under the presidency of the Interior Affairs, Public Works and Housing Ministry of Argentina, represented by its Minister Rogelio Frigerio, was attended by 45 participants from 22 countries, together with representatives from CEPAL and UN-Habitat, the last one represented by its Executive Director, Dr. Joan Clos.

The meeting allowed a rich debate about the challenges and opportunities in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, providing a privileged space to learn about different experiences in the region.

In his remarks, Dr. Joan Clos said: “We would fool ourselves if we believe there are fixed recipes to provide immediate response to urban problems in Latin America, because every city in the region has its own challenge. What does exist is a set of strategies that can meaningfully contribute to the improvement of urban life and to the generation of jobs and prosperity.”

During the first day, the authorities had the opportunity to exchange experiences and participate in workshops, with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank. The formal meetings and discussions followed and as a result, Argentina was re-elected for the presidency.

Participants also signed the Buenos Aires Declaration, highlighting, among others, the importance that countries count on a national framework on legal, institutional and financial issues enabling their guidance of the urban, territorial and social development, in a participative manner, to improve existing habitat conditions for all the population, promoting links with sub-national and local governments and other stakeholders, to advance inclusive, secure, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements