Following is the text of UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ video message to the “Bridge for Cities 2021” event, held today:
I am pleased to greet the sixth “Bridge for Cities” event. Cities have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic — yet they are also demonstrating remarkable resilience and creative problem solving to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Many cities are rethinking urban spaces, making them more inclusive, sustainable and safe; establishing social protection measures to support women, vulnerable groups and young people; inventing new ways to live, travel and work for a net-zero emissions and resilient world; providing financial assistance to local business and supporting job creation; leveraging technology and digitalization; and strengthening public health and education systems.
Investment in recovery is a generational opportunity to put climate action, clean energy, gender equality and sustainable development at the heart of cities’ strategies and policies. But, cities cannot do it alone. They need coordinated action from all levels of Government, strong partnerships with the private sector and civil society, and the fiscal and policy space to bring solutions to scale.
They also need to be able to learn from each other. That is why we launched the Local2030 Coalition, to identify innovations and help localize the Sustainable Development Goals.
The United Nations is committed to working with you. Organizations such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) are providing platforms for cities to partner up. Our resident coordinators and country teams can support your priorities, provide the expertise of our specialized agencies and connect you with other global players.
Together, we can build bridges to an inclusive, sustainable recovery and clean, green cities for all.
