Eleven years ago, when the World Expo 2010 concluded, the Shanghai Declaration put forward the idea of setting up World Cities Day, which it later decided would fall on October 31 each year. World Cities Day has since then become an important platform for the international community to exchange their best practice and ideas on SDG (sustainable development goals).

The 2021 China Observance of World Cities Day and the first SDG Cities Global Conference will be held in Shanghai from October 30 to November 1, announced an official from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development at a press conference convened this week.

Themed “Adapting Cities for Climate Resilience”, this year’s World Cities Day aims to raise public awareness about adaptation to climate change and urban resilience. By sharing solutions, it will encourage effective climate actions at the national and local levels and promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.

Apart from plenary meetings, the SDG Cities Global Conference will include five thematic forums, three symposiums on different topics, an exhibition on Chinese cities development and an exposition on international cities and architecture.