Opening Remarks by

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury

Chairman, Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS)

20th Anniversary Annual Session of GFHS

& Observance of World Cities Day 2025

at

World Meteorological Organization Headquarters,

Geneva, 4 November 2025

Distinguished delegates, colleagues and co-travellers,

It is a distinct honor and privilege to welcome you all to the 20th Annual Session of the Global Forum on Human Settlements and the observance of World Cities Day 2025, here at the headquarters of the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva.

Before I proceed, allow me to express my deepest appreciation to our gracious host, WMO, for its generous support and cooperation. My heartfelt thanks go to Professor Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, Dr. Johan Stander, Mr. Dmitry Mariyasin, and our dear Nikhil Seth, for their valued participation and encouragement. I also extend sincere gratitude to our co-organizers, partners, donors, members, participants, and volunteers for their continued dedication to the GFHS mission.  For our dynamic Secretary General Lyu Haifeng, my deepest appreciation for his continuing management and coordination of the organization’s work.

This 20th session marks a remarkable milestone in our journey. For two decades, GFHS has remained steadfast in its mission to promote sustainable cities and human settlements for all, guided by the conviction that urban transformation must be people-centred, inclusive, and equitable.

We celebrate not just the passage of time, but the perseverance and shared purpose that have carried us forward. Since its founding, GFHS has become a respected international platform linking governments, academia, civil society, and the private sector to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda adopted in 2016.

Our theme this year, “Advance Local Innovation and Collaboration for a Resilient and Sustainable Urban Future”—is both timely and visionary.

Cities are at the frontline of humanity’s response to climate change, inequality, and resource stress. Yet they are also laboratories of innovation. Local collaboration, smart technology, inclusive design, and climate-resilient planning are shaping the future of urban life.

Holding this session at WMO underlines the essential link between climate science and sustainable urban development. Quite simply, a city cannot be resilient unless it is also climate-resilient.

Our discussions will culminate in the Geneva Declaration, a landmark outcome of this 20th session.

The Declaration brings together the perspectives of 22 authoritative institutions, numerous local governments, and participating delegates.  It draws on the experiences of leading cities and insights of experts, while being rooted in the 2030 Agenda and  the New Urban Agenda.

It provides practical, consensus-based guidance for city leaders and communities worldwide in their sustainable transformation, helping to ensure that no one and no place is left behind.

A special feature of GFHS 2025 is the New Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards Ceremony, our top recognition for leadership in sustainability and climate action.

This year, twenty outstanding initiatives will be honoured for their inspiring contributions to a greener, fairer, and more resilient urban world. They demonstrate that visionary local action—anchored in compassion, science, and inclusion—can illuminate the path for global progress.

As we reflect on two decades of the Forum’s work, let us remember that sustainable cities are built not only with concrete and steel but with compassion, human dignity, and shared responsibility.

Our common endeavour must be to ensure that urban growth becomes a source of well-being, not inequality; of resilience, not vulnerability.

Let us also recognise that peace, sustainability, and human dignity are inseparable.  The Culture of Peace, which I have long championed at the United Nations, finds real expression in how we plan and govern our cities—where citizens participate, diversity is valued, and justice and sustainability reinforce one another.

As we open this 20th Annual Session, I invite all of you to renew your commitment to building cities that are inclusive, safe, and sustainable — cities that harmonize people, planet, and progress.

Let us carry forward from Geneva the spirit of innovation, collaboration, and shared humanity, confident that together we can advance a resilient and sustainable urban future for all.

I thank you.