Mr. Muchadeyi Masunda, Co-President of UCLG and Mayor of Harare , representing UNACLA delivered the statement of local and regional governments before the Plenary of the 24th Session of the UN Habitat Governing Council.
Mr. Masunda stated that "The Urban Agenda will need to be people-centered, bridge the rural urban divide and understand urbanization as a territorial issue not limited to urban centers. It will need to put cohesion among territories at the forefront acknowledging important metropolization processes that are taking place and positive effects in development, as well as the increasing role of intermediate cities in developing countries. It will further need to recognize culture as a fundamental cornerstone for development".
The 2013 Session of this Council is of particular importance in view of the upcoming Habitat III Conference in 2016 that will define the international urban agenda. The focus of this Session will be on “sustainable urban development: the role of cities in creating improved economic opportunities for all, with special references to youth and gender”.