Our Role in the New Urban Agenda

GAP played a role in the Habitat III process that allowed individual urban experts and those without ECOSOC or other accreditation to contribute feedback on the drafts of the New Urban Agenda and inputs into statements given during the negotiations. GAP was (and remains) open to individuals as well as organizations and networks, meaning that any interested party could receive updates on the process and have their inputs and contributions consolidated via GAP.

In collaboration with the Habitat III Secretariat, the GAP coordinated stakeholder caucuses in prior to the intergovernmental negotiations in order to establish the groups that would deliver statements and to organize and coordinate inputs from stakeholders. This allowed each PCG to caucus and to contribute agreed content, enabling those with contributions to make to have their voices heard even if they did not have recognized accreditation.

In May 2016, GAP published its consensus document Partnerships for the New Urban Agenda as the outcome of an intensive and extensive consultation process of the stakeholders under the umbrella of the GAP. The document highlights the role of multi-stakeholder partnerships in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the mechanics of such partnerships. It lays out principles, enabling factors, and post-Habitat III architecture. Some of the specific suggestions for this engagement architecture include a Decade of Sustainable Urbanization, a knowledge platform, an advocacy arm, an innovation laboratory, a monitoring mechanism, and an investment advisory committee. The full document is available in PDF online.

GAP coordinated the informal hearings with Major Groups and other Stakeholders in June 2016 to give feedback on the draft of the New Urban Agenda to Member States, and to bring stakeholders contributions and inputs to the forefront of the discussion. 

During the negotiation of the New Urban Agenda, GAP co-chairs disseminated information about each draft and the status of negotiations and other updates to their constituencies, and consolidated feedback from the membership to submit to the Co-facilitators. GAP also secured meetings with the Bureau of the Preparatory Process and with the Co-facilitators of the negotiations, during which it invited all present stakeholders to attend and contribute their feedback as well.

During the Regional and Thematic Meetings, GAP coordinated its members to sit on the Advisory Boards in order to ensure representation of the various constituency groups in each of the Declarations and hosted events and roundtables with stakeholders.