U.S. Supports OAS Regional Forum on Sustainable Cities and Communities in the Americas

Mayors from cities in the Caribbean, Central America, Colombia, and the United States will meet December 3-4 in Miami, Florida to discuss challenges linked to rapid urbanization in the Americas and exchange best practices for the sustainable development of cities and communities. Participants will also discuss priority areas for cooperation on urban sustainability ahead of the 7^th World Urban Forum (WUF7) to be held in Medellin, Colombia, in 2014.

The conference – entitled “Towards Sustainable and Resilient Communities in the Americas” – is being hosted in partnership with Florida International University (FIU) and Miami Dade County, and jointly sponsored by the Department of Sustainable Development of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Permanent Missions of Colombia and the United States. The gathering is also being supported by the Department of State’s Office of the Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs.

The initiative represents a pilot municipal partnership program to encourage cooperation, the exchange of knowledge, and implementation of best practices related to municipal development, economic opportunity, and democratic governance. Working under this framework, the forum seeks to catalyze hemispheric cooperation among city leaders, managers, business leaders, and community partners in support of the growth of sustainable and resilient cities in the Americas, and provide a platform for sharing challenges, solutions, and experiences among mayors in the Americas.

The conference seeks to bolster regional cooperation to improve the quality of municipal governance in the hemisphere and establish a framework for effective collaboration and exchanges between regional municipal leaders and counterparts in the United States. The outcomes of the conference will inform the OAS Sustainable Communities initiative and the WUF7.

The gathering will include site visits sponsored by Miami Dade County to the Port of Miami and to Miami Dade County’s Office of Emergency Management and Fire and Rescue Headquarters.