Day 7: The SDGs consultations were dedicated to the Goal 11 «Sustainable cities and communities».

Today’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) consultation on the Goal 11“Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” was co- led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Construction and Architecture of Turkmenistan and supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The goal includes the following background,

"More than half of the world’s population now live in urban areas. By 2050, that figure will have risen to 6.5 billion people – two-thirds of humanity.

The rapid growth of cities in the developing world, coupled with increasing rural to urban migration, has led to a boom in mega-cities. In 1990, there were ten mega-cities with 10 million inhabitants or more. In 2014, there are 28 mega-cities, home to a total 453 million people.

Extreme poverty is often concentrated in urban spaces, and national and city governments struggle to accommodate the rising population in these areas.

Making cities safe and sustainable means ensuring access to safe and affordable housing, and upgrading slum settlements. It also involves investment in public transport, creating green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management in a way that is both participatory and inclusive." [1]

Representatives of about six national ministries and agencies discussed the proposed ten targets to the Goal 11 and their relevance to Turkmenistan. Participants of today's consultation agreed to adopt all ten global targets, with eleven of 15 indicators accepted without modification, and for the rest four indicators the decision is yet to be made.

During the discussion two topics have received special attention. One is ensuring accessible and safe transport system that encourage integration of all groups, such as persons with disabilities. This practice has already have started in the capital city, but needs a further development. A mechanism of communication of municipalities with public has also a positive step forward that was covered on the consultations too. Such improvements include hyakimlik websites and a recent initiative for co-planning of a town involving public. The recommendation is to continue the work and aim at higher results.