3rd Pakistan Urban Forum Closing ceremony

Dr Nasir Javed

Why an Urban Forum?

• Policy making and decision making should be a consultative process, with collective wisdom

• Cities belong to the Citizens • There is a need for national level debate and

discussion • We can learn from each other • We should learn from the world

Forum offers all of the above & More

• Urban Popuation Growing at 3% • Most of the Urban Centers are slums • Cities are engines of growth

We need to address these issues

Pakistan Urban Forum

1st

• Mar 2011

•Lahore

2nd

• Jan 2014

• Karachi

3rd

• Dec 2015

• Lahore

4th

• Feb 2017

• Peshawar

Highlights

146: National Speakers

39: International Speakers

7341: Particiapnts

36: Sessions

54: Stalls

3rd Pakistan Urban Forum: Declaration

The deliberations during the Forum have been instrumental in ushering a new thought process of

reimagining and transforming Pakistan’s cities for the 21st century. The cities that are well planned, clean, green, smart and happy. We imagined our cities that

could serve as centres of knowledge, innovation, creativity, talent, and economic wellbeing. The cities

that are agents of social, cultural, economic and technological changes and advancement.

3rd Pakistan Urban Forum: Declaration

It has been concluded that what we need is to focus on institutional Development to reap the maximum dividends from the urbanization process. Our institutions, especially at the Local level, need a robust regulatory framework to ensure the desired results; need to be aligned and integrated, geographically as well as functionally & need to build their technical and human capacities on modern lines. Their financial sustainability has to be put high on the agenda and they should be responsive to the citizens’ needs with a framework for accountability.

3rd Pakistan Urban Forum: Declaration

So we hereby declare on the eve of this 3rd Pakistan Urban Forum that we will join hands for the next two years to take concrete steps to further develop our urban institutions. These steps are bound to enhance the trust of people on democracy and send a very positive image to all the stakeholders about the resolve behind improving urban governance and service delivery in Pakistan.

• Draft Policies, Laws, Rules, Regulations and Bye laws, through a consultative process

• Support in R&D for realignment & Reforms of urban institutions • Revamping of the existing & establishment of new CB & Training

Institutions • MOUs & Agreements with International Institutions for capacity

building • National & International Seminars, Conference & Workshops

(quarterly) • Support to develop linkages between Universities & Cities

towards meeting the HR requirements. • Developing Information Management systems and databases to

support evidence based decision making in the urban sector.

Thanking all the Urban Unit Team for making it yet another success story

Thanking all the Volunteers!