Report Launch | 2026 SDG Partnership Report—Inclusive Urban Futures: From Inequality to Opportunity
As part of the Thirteenth Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), this session, during the morning plenary, will explore transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions to accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Event Overview
Asia and the Pacific is home to 2.2 billion urban residents, representing more than half of the world’s urban population. Cities generate around 80% of the region’s GDP, yet inequalities in housing, services, employment and environmental conditions continue to widen.
The 2026 SDG Partnership Report ‘Inclusive Urban Futures’ highlights how urban poverty, informality, climate vulnerability and unequal access to opportunity are shaping development trajectories across the region. The session will take stock of shared challenges and spotlight promising policies and practices that are advancing inclusive and sustainable urban futures.
Objectives
- Launch the 2026 Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report
- Examine urban inequalities and their implications for SDG progress
- Showcase innovative, coordinated and locally adapted urban solutions
- Facilitate dialogue among governments, development partners, private sector and civil society
Participants
The session will bring together:
- Member States from across Asia and the Pacific
- Representatives from United Nations agencies and multilateral development banks
- Private sector leaders
- Research institutions and think tanks
- Civil society and other stakeholders
Moderator
- Mr. Shombi Sharp, Deputy Executive Secretary, ESCAP
Panelists
- H.E. Mr. Prakash Kumarshrestha, Vice-Chairman, National Planning Commission, Nepal
- H.E. Mr. Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
- Ms. Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director, UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific
- Ms. Noelle O’Brien, Director of Climate Change, Asian Development Bank
- Mr. Kazuhiko Takeuchi, President, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
- Mr. Spencer Low, Chair, ESBN Task Force on Innovation; Head of Regional Sustainability, Asia Pacific, Google Singapore
Event Organizers / Partners
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)