More than 800 people from 45 countries, including the head of UN-Habitat, to participate World Cities Day in Russia

The main event of the annually World Cities Day will be hosted by the City of Ekaterinburg, Russia, on Oct 30-31. This year the event’s partner is 100+ Forum Russia, the International forum and exhibition for high-rise and special constructions, which held from Oct 29 to Nov 1 in the same area. More than 800 participants from 45 countries registered for the World Cities Day’s celebration: all the continents of the planet, except Antarctica, are represented, the press service of the 100+ Forum Russia told Pan Pacific Agency.

“It is a great success that we’re able to combine our 100+ Forum Russia with such a major international event. Ekaterinburg is one of the few cities that has been cooperating with the UN since 2000 and we have big joint plans. The success of the city attracts serious researchers from world capitals,” Alexander Vysokinsky, the Mayor of the City of Ekaterinburg, said.

Today a film screening of the musical “The Dawns Here Are Quiet” in Chinese and performances by Chinese groups started the World Cities Day in Yeltsin Center.

This year World Cities Day is jointly organized by UN-Habitat, the Shanghai People’s Government and the City of Ekaterinburg. UN has selected the theme “Changing the world: innovations and better life for future generations” to discuss how urbanization can be used to achieve sustainable development. The main goals of World Cities Day 2019 are to increase awareness of how digital innovations can be used for urban service delivery to enhance the quality of life and improve the urban environment and to show new frontier technologies that can create more inclusive cities.

Maimuna Mohd Sharif, the head of UN-Habitat, Ildemaro Villarroel, Venezuela’s Minister for Housing and Habitat, and Jiang Wanzhong, the Deputy Minister of China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD), are among the most well-regarded foreign guests. Maimuna Mohd Sharif is the Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Programme and Acting Director-General of the UN Office at Nairobi since Jan 2018. Previously she served as Mayor of the city council of Penang Island (Malaysia).

More information about World Cities Day in Russia is available on the even’s page.