The Role of National Urban Forums as multi-stakeholder platforms to accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda: Report on the Expert Group Meeting, October 2020

This report summarises the proceedings of the EGM, highlighting case studies, best practices, and recommendations from experts and participants.

The EGM discussions highlighted how NUFs play a fundamental role in connecting local, regional and national governments, as well as civil society and non-government partners. Experts highlighted the pivotal role of partnerships and the importance of identifying and including relevant stakeholders (civil society, business, academics, the United Nations) to take part in NUFs, contribute to urban policy discussions, and monitor outcomes. In particular, they identified the need for governments to formalise relationships with civil society partners and for NUF hosts to actively think about how to bring in urban actors, such as the urban poor and those living in informal settlements, who typically fall outside the “mainframe” of sustainable urban development.

The NUFs are a valuable platform for formulating, implementing, and reviewing the implementation of national urban policies, as well as communicating about policy outcomes and progress on priority areas. They provide a valuable policy feedback loop. At the same time, NUFs link with global development agendas and are critical for accelerating implementation of the NUA and SDGs.