Urban Solutions: Learning From Cities’ Responses to COVID-19

A series of webinars organised by UNESCO on city responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

Why it matters

In this online meeting, UNESCO Cities Platform bring together a diverse set of urban actors – including mayors, local policymakers, professionals and practitioners, NGOs, international institutions to support city decision-makers in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and work towards building sustainable and resilient cities of tomorrow.

The UNESCO Cities Platform (UCP) composed of 8 UNESCO city Networks and Programmes from all its fields of expertise – education, culture, nature and social sciences, and communication and information, have a comprehensive and transversal approach to the Organization’s work in the urban context for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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UNESCO, July 2020

What we do

We partner with city officials to establish local risk assessments and design action plans and programmatic responses. From de-radicalisation programming to youth engagement strategies, we ensure that local responses address local needs.

Working from the ground up, we establish local coordination bodies that unite city halls, civil society educators, public health bodies, the private sector and faith leaders to identify and address community tensions. We base our success on harnessing existing and credible institutions, from social services to traditional civic infrastructure.

We galvanise mayors, city officials, local services, communities and youth, training them to play active roles in diagnosing and responding to local risk factors, creating an international repository of best practice approaches.

We help members access the latest research and best practice from across the network through our SCN Online Hub, which features stories, interviews, guides and training modules for teachers, city officials and civil society. Our SCN Hate and Extremism Mapper provides members with data, building digital observatories that correlate online risks with offline behaviour.

We act as a bridge, creating stronger working relationships between local and national governments. We also provide civil society with the knowledge, skills and resources to foster meaningful partnerships with officials in city halls.