BRICS Urbanisation Forum adopts declaration on inclusive, resilient cities

New Delhi, Jun 12 (PTI) The two-day BRICS Urbanisation Forum concluded on Friday with the adoption of the ‘Urban Ministerial Declaration’, which highlights key priorities shared by member nations and reaffirms commitment to advancing people-centred urban development.

Addressing a press conference, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal said that the member nations welcomed India’s proposal for the establishment of a BRICS Urban Research and Knowledge Network.

This network will be a chair-led, institutionally connected knowledge mechanism for applied urban research, knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning.

Hosted by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) under India’s BRICS Chairship, the forum was attended by ministers,

senior government officials and urban practitioners from Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

The ‘Urban Ministerial Declaration’ emphasises the importance of creating inclusive, sustainable, resilient and liveable cities that ensure equitable access to urban services, particularly for marginalised groups.

Lal said the member nations also recognised the need for stronger local authorities and organisations, and the growing role of digital innovation in improving governance, planning and citizen-centred services.

According to the MoHUA, the declaration also emphasised the importance of promoting environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient urban development.

The ministry said that the forum concluded with a shared understanding that the future of BRICS cooperation will be shaped in significant measure by how member countries work together to build cities that are inclusive, resilient, sustainable and prepared for the future.

The forum focused on the theme — ‘Cities for People: BRICS Cooperation for Inclusive and Resilient Urban Futures’.

The two-day discussions showed that BRICS countries are experimenting with different models, but are often responding to similar pressures — rapid urban growth, infrastructure deficits, fiscal constraints, climate risks, and the need to make cities more liveable and equitable. PTI BUN DIV DIV