The third Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, known as the Shanghai Award, will be presented in Bogota, Colombia, on World Cities Day, Oct 31, marking the first time the ceremony will be held in South America.

Jointly established by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, or UN-Habitat, and the Shanghai municipal government, the Shanghai Award recognizes cities worldwide for their achievements and innovations in advancing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.

"Last year marked the first time that the Shanghai Award was presented abroad, with the ceremony held in Egypt, Africa," Liu Qianwei, chief engineer with the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said at a news briefing on Oct 20.

"This year, it will be awarded in South America for the first time, a move that will further expand the global influence of China's experiences in urban sustainable development and demonstrate the ongoing collaboration between China and the UN in this field," Liu added.

The Shanghai Award evaluates cities across a wide range of criteria, including economic vitality, urban prosperity, ecological construction, green development, safety and resilience, and capacity building for sustainable development.

Last year's winners included Agadir in Morocco, Thiruvananthapuram in India, Doha in Qatar, Iztapalapa in Mexico, and Melbourne in Australia. The inaugural award in 2023 went to Brisbane in Australia, Fuzhou in China, George Town in Malaysia, Kampala in Uganda, and Salvador in Brazil.

The Bogota event will also see the release of the 2025 English editions of the Shanghai Manual and the Shanghai Adapted Index.

The Shanghai Manual serves as a global guide for sustainable urban development, while the Shanghai Adapted Index provides a practical tool for cities to assess their progress toward sustainable development goals.

Alongside the global event in Bogota, Shanghai will host the 2025 SDG Cities Global Conference at the Grand Halls from Oct 26 to 27.

Themed "Innovative Development Towards People-Centered Smart Cities", the conference will include a plenary session, three thematic meetings, and multiple special forums.

The Shanghai International City and Architecture Expo and a series of public activities will also be held concurrently.

Launched in 2021 by Shanghai and UN-Habitat under the framework of World Cities Day, the conference has grown into an influential international platform for dialogue and cooperation on sustainable urbanization.

Sources: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, chinadaily.com.cn