This side event, organized by ESCWA within the framework of the 17th session of the Arab Towns Organization General Conference, will provide an opportunity to inform participants on the ongoing regional preparations for the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development  (Habitat III), which will be held in Quito, Ecuador, in October 2016. It will also present the main regional messages to be communicated to the global process for developing a new Urban Agenda.

In addition, the side event will address key dimensions of inclusive and sustainable urban development, with a focus on the use of knowledge and innovation to overcome the challenges of reconciliation and restitution in the reconstruction and development of inclusive and sustainable cities, and will provide a platform to introduce some selected country experiences

Further details on the agenda are available in the attached information note.