I. Metshin: "We need to make our cities more comfortable, cleaner, richer and more convenient for life"

(Kazan City KZN.RU, September 28). Mayor of Kazan, co-president of the World Organization "United Cities and Local Governments" (UCLG) Ilsur Metshin took part in the activities of the UN Summit on Sustainable Development after 2015, passed on September 27 in New York.

Last forum of this magnitude took place in 2000, when representatives of the member states of the UN adopted the Millennium Development Goals, which launched one of the most successful global campaigns against poverty. In frames of this program it was possible to improve the living conditions of 200 million slum dwellers, drastically reduce child mortality, investments in the fight against malaria, HIV / AIDS and tuberculosis have saved millions of lives. This year, world leaders met to discuss the agenda for further development after 2015.

During the meeting inclusion in the agenda of the post-2015 targets for the autonomous urban sustainable development was held. Meeting of the leaders of local and regional authorities, which was attended by Ilsur Metshin, was held parallel to the Summit. The meeting noted that the relationship between the municipalities, the governments and influential international organizations have reached a new qualitative level. Ilsur Metshin noted that, despite the political instability, municipalities and their associations have their reputable platform on which they have an effective dialogue. Mayor of Kazan suggested to his colleagues to discuss new financing mechanisms of interaction of municipalities with governments and international funds at the next meeting of the UCLG World Council, which will take place in December in Paris.

In New York Ilsur Metshin also participated in the meeting of the Advisory Committee of Local Self-Government of the United Nations («UNACLA») - an influential group of mayors and representatives of organizations that promote the interests of local governments. It comprises a total of 20 people, who are elected by the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Program. «UNACLA» is working on the creation and promotion of a positive vision of the future of cities and advises the Executive Director of UN-Habitat on good urban governance. The Committee serves as a link between local authorities and national governments at the international level. Ilsur Metshin was first elected to the «UNACLA» in 2007 and was recently re-approved by the Executive Director of UN-Habitat.

At the meeting of «UNACLA» Kazan Mayor spoke about the participation of local authorities in the world and, in particular, the Eurasian integration. According Ilsur Metshin, to accelerate the integration process in the first place, we must seek to reduce social inequality in cities. "It's hard to talk about the equal partnership of strengths and weaknesses and equivalent participation in global projects", - said the head of the capital of Tatarstan. An excellent incentive for the development of effective urban management and reduce inequalities quality of life are the awards of international organizations, according the conviction of co-president of UCLG. "Yes, this is satisfying of the ambitions of local authorities to some extent. But in order to receive the award, you must be not just faster, higher and stronger. We need to make our cities more comfortable, cleaner, richer and more convenient for life. This task is much more difficult than that of Olympic athletes, "- said the Mayor of Kazan. Ilsur Metshin has initiated the establishment of joint award of UN-Habitat and UCLG, which will identify and disseminate best practices of municipal government, will enable the UCLG to embark on real cases and begin to show concrete results.

Statements by representatives of local authorities, announced in New York, called to be a link between Summit on Sustainable Development after 2015 and the United Nations Conference on Housing "Habitat III», which will be held in 2016 in Ecuador.