7 October 2024, Kathmandu

Ministry of Urban Development (MOUD), Government of Nepal in collaboration with UN-Habitat Nepal, Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC), Nepal National Urban Forum (NNUF) and various national urban stakeholders, organized a one-day event to commemorate the World Habitat Day (WHD) 2024 with the theme “Engaging Youth to Create a Better Urban Future” and convene the Nepal National Urban Forum with the theme “Financing Localization and Localizing Finance” on 7th October, 2024 in Kathmandu, Nepal. The event brought together national and local leaders, policymakers, urban planners, youth advocates, academia, non-government organizations and key stakeholders in an engaging discussion on youth inclusion in urban development to lead sustainable urbanization in Nepal. The event was graced by Honourable Deputy Prime Minister and Minister MOUD Mr. Prakash man Singh, and special guests including Dr. Ramesh Prasad Singh, Honourable Member of the National Planning Commission (NPC); D.. Sohan Prasad Sah, Honourable Vice Chairman of the Province Policy and Planning Commission, Madhesh Province; Mr. Maniram Gelal, Secretary, MOUD; Ms. Hanaa Singer Hamdy, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nepal; Mr. Ghanashyam Giri, Mayor of Chandragiri Municipality; Mr. Machakaji Maharjan, Director General (DG) of DUDBC; and Prof. Dr. Sangeeta Singh, Convenor of the NNUF and Mr. Dilip Bhandari, Joint Secretary, MOUD and Chair of the session.

The formal inauguration was held by launching the Voluntary Local Report (VLR) of Chandragiri Municipality. The VLR report of Chandragiri is a significant step in localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 that provides valuable insights into the municipality’s progress towards the SDGs, highlighting institutional, resource, and implementation gaps that guides the actions for the municipality to achieve the targets and the importance of local action to achieve the national targets and commitment.

In the welcome remarks, Mr. Rabindra Bohara, Deputy DG, Housing Division, DUDBC highlighted Nepal’s long-standing commitment for sustainable urban development, focusing on creating safe, resilient, and inclusive cities. He emphasized the need for young people, who are often excluded from key decision-making processes, to be engaged as key stakeholders in leading national development.