Havana, Nov 1. - The Office of the Historian of Havana was awarded the Habitat 2023 national recognition as a legal entity, during the 10th Urban Forum that ended today at the Convention Palace of this capital.
The architect and urban planner, Dr. Ibis María Menéndez-Cuesta, from the National Institute of Territorial Planning and Urban Planning (Inotu), deserved the same award for her professional career and contributions to research and teaching, and to the development of regulations in the sector.
This is how Fausto Martínez, specialist in the International Relations department of Inotu, informed Prensa Latina at the meeting headquarters.
The two-day event had the technical assistance of the United Nations Agency for Urban Settlements (UN-Habitat) and financing from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), as part of the October program Urban.
The theme of this workshop was Building alliances for a sustainable urban future, following the echoes of the International Habitat Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The day coincided with the celebration of World Cities Day, a date proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2014 and which this year has as its theme Financing a sustainable urban future for all.
More than half of the world's population (54 percent or four billion people) lives in cities and by 2030 it is estimated that about five billion people will live in that environment.
The anniversary seeks to promote the sustainable development of cities and encourage cooperation between countries to plan urbanization, in order to maximize the capacity to create employment and wealth, and promote social cohesion.
One of the most important challenges for metropolises is to resist natural disasters, which lately affect so many urban centers.
These areas are increasingly affected by climate-related events, such as floods, droughts, heat waves, storms, landslides and others.
Specialists from Cuba, Panama and Costa Rica debated urban policies of each country at the 10th National Urban Forum and were also attended by government representatives, civil society and academia.
The panels on this last day of the event discussed the role of local governments in territorial urban development and the participation of women in planning, land management and habitat development, and resilient solutions based on nature, with respect to the landscape and heritage.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba, Inés María Chapman, participated in the debates of the meeting, which was also attended by the resident coordinator of UN-Habitat, Francisco Pichón; Eugenia De Grazia, UN-Habitat program officer, and Mayra Espino, Ph.D., from the SDC ag