Russian assessment tools and systems of infrastructure development and quality of life indices may contribute to the development of the Global Urban Monitoring Framework, according to Erfan Ali, Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at UN-Habitat. He made this statement during a working meeting with the Russian UN Global Compact National Network in Moscow, a partner of TV BRICS.
UN-Habitat is the United Nations programme for human settlements, mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote sustainable urban development. The programme develops the Global Urban Monitoring Framework to measure and track the well-being of cities worldwide with the aim of supporting their sustainability.
Photo:
provided by the UN Global Compact National Network in Russia
From the UN Global Compact National Network in Russia, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs; major Russian mining and metallurgical, oil and gas chemical and energy companies; socially orientated foundations; inclusive and social projects; as well as the Government of the Sakhalin Region.
The parties discussed prospects for cooperation within the framework of the project “Sustainable Development of Cities and Regions (United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11)”. The meeting, held at the site of VEB.RF, a leading Russian development institution, made it possible to discuss the integration of Russian assessment tools and systems of infrastructure development and quality of life indices developed by VEB with UN-Habitat indicators.
“The work being carried out in Russia on developing quality of life tools can contribute to the advancement of the Global Index, which will be of extremely important significance,” Erfan Ali emphasised.
Photo:
provided by the UN Global Compact National Network in Russia
He pointed to the potential for UN-Habitat’s interaction with the private sector and noted that Russian projects in urban development, infrastructure and inclusion align with the strategic objectives of the United Nations.
“We see significant potential for cooperation under UN-Habitat programmes, including the inclusion of Russian cities in global UN-Habitat indices. We hope that the practices presented by Russian companies will contribute to forming a fair understanding among the UN-Habitat team of the contribution of Russian business to the socio-economic and infrastructure development of regions and cities and to improving the quality of life of local populations,” said Natalia Dorpeko, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact National Network in Russia.
During his working visit, Erfan Ali also held meetings with representatives of the Government of Moscow and delivered a lecture at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, a partner of TV BRICS.
Russia has been cooperating with UN-Habitat since 1978. The Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities of Russia serves as the lead agency. The programme’s Executive Office operates in Moscow.
UN-Habitat implements large-scale projects in BRICS countries. In China, the China Future Cities Council
operates, within which research is conducted on the impact of artificial intelligence on urban development. In Brazil, India, Indonesia, and South Africa, the
Urban-LEDS project aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in cities was implemented over several years starting from 2012. UN-Habitat acted as a co-implementer of the project, responsible for management, monitoring and technical support. In total, the project covered more than 60 cities across eight countries.
The TV BRICS International Media Network consistently promotes the Sustainable Development Goals agenda. Within the framework of SDG 11 “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”, the “City of Stories” programme series was created – two seasons and 29 episodes about small towns in Central Russia. These include the historic cities of the Golden Ring: Suzdal, Vladimir, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Yaroslavl and Kostroma.
The programmes have been broadcast by TV BRICS media partners in China, Brazil, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Venezuela, and Cuba. Episodes are also published on online platforms of Russian diplomatic missions and cultural centres abroad, including the Embassy of Russia in South Africa and the Russian House of Rossotrudnichestvo in Chennai (India).
In November last year, an expert session on Russian low-carbon development projects was held at the TV BRICS office. The Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development of the Sakhalin Region, Andrey Samatov, spoke about the region’s experience, which achieved carbon neutrality in 2024 – one year ahead of schedule.