FUZHOU, China, Nov. 3, 2026 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--
The Global Observance of World Cities Day 2026 and the awarding ceremony for the 4th Cycle of the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award) were held in Fuzhou, east China, on October 31.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and Anacláudia Rossbach, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a written message.
Five cities received this year's award: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Jingdezhen, China; Istanbul, Türkiye; Santiago de Cali, Colombia; and Katowice, Poland.
During the event, Shanghai and UN‑Habitat jointly released a series of international public goods, including the English editions of the Shanghai Manual: A Guide for Sustainable Urban Development in the 21st Century · 2026 Annual Report and the 2026 UMF‑Shanghai Adapted Index Application Report. They provide practical pathways for global cities to advance urban regeneration and to narrow housing gaps.
Anacláudia Rossbach, under‑secretary‑general of the United Nations and executive director of UN‑Habitat, together with Chen Shaowang, vice minister of China's Ministry of Housing and Urban‑Rural Development, and Wu Xiande, mayor of the Fuzhou Municipal People's Government, signed a memorandum of understanding on promoting the establishment of an international alliance for the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities.
The Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award) is jointly established by UN‑Habitat and China. It also serves as a key vehicle for Shanghai to actively participate in global governance and promote the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
Under the overall theme of "Building a Sustainable Urban Future for All," this year's award encourages nominations from cities that have achieved remarkable progress in such areas as adequate housing, urban regeneration resilient infrastructure and multi‑stakeholder governance.
