ECPA Sustainable Communities Initiative to Host Building Sustainable Cities and Communities in the Americas Focus of OAS Experts Meeting in Guatemala
ECPA Sustainable Communities Initiative to Host Building Sustainable Cities and Communities in the Americas Focus of OAS Experts Meeting in Guatemala
Date: june 2-3, 2013
Place: Spanish Cooperation Training Center, Antiguo Colegio de la Compañía de Jesús
6th Av. North between 3rd and 4th St, La Antigua, Guatemala
Over the past 3 decades, the Americas has become the most urbanized region in the world, resulting in serious challenges for social and economic infrastructure, especially housing and transportation, as well as for the quality of human health and the health of the environment.
Against this background, City Mayors, development planners and civil society representatives will meet on June 2 and 3 at Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española in Antigua, Guatemala, under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS) to share ideas, experiences and best practices on ways to build functional cities in the Americas.
The meetings are part of the Sustainable Communities in Central America and the Caribbean initiative which was launched in 2012 with support from the Government of the United States of America.
The first meeting on June 2 will involve representatives of 14 non-governmental organizations from 10 countries who received $50,000 grants to execute innovative demonstration projects at the community level within the framework of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA).
Each grantee will present highlights on progress made so far, challenges encountered, and Opportunities for replicating or moving project to scale.
On June 3, a Public Roundtable will held which will provide an opportunity for policymakers, NGO representatives, and the private sector to exchange lessons learned and best practices for implementing and scaling-up of sustainable cities demonstration projects.
The Opening Ceremony of the Roundtable will be addressed by H.E. Marcia Roxana Sobenes García, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources of Guatemala; Excellency José Miguel Insulza, Secretary-General of the Organization of the American States (OAS); and Excellency Carmen Lomellin, Ambassador, and Permanent Representative of the U.S. to the OAS.
A feature of the Roundtable will be a Mayors Panel moderated by V. Sherry Tross Executive Secretary for Integral Development of the GS/OAS, which will address the theme: Portrait of a Sustainable City. Speakers will include the Hon. Eduardo Rivera Pérez, Municipal President of Puebla, México, the Hon. José Antonio Coro García, Mayor of the Municipality of Santa Catarina Pinula, Guatemala and Dr. Ricardo José Manager of the World Urban Forum and representative of the municipal government of Medellin.
The roundtable will focus on priority areas for cooperation on sustainable development in the Americas in the run-up to the 7th World Urban Forum in Medellin in 2014.
See agenda, here.
AGENDA
Time |
|
|
08:30 – 08:45 |
Registration |
|
08:45 – 09:00 |
Host Remarks
H.E. Marcia Roxana Sobenes García Minister of Environment and Natural Resources of Guatemala |
|
09:00- 09:15 |
Opening Remarks José Miguel Insulza Secretary General of the Organization of the American States (OAS) |
|
09:15 – 09:30 |
Cooperation on Sustainable Cities through the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) Carmen Lomellin Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the U.S. to the OAS |
|
09:30 – 10:15 |
Mayors Roundtable: Portrait of a Sustainable City Hon. Eduardo Rivera Pérez Municipal President of Puebla, México Hon. José Antonio Coro García Mayor of the Municipality of Santa Catarina Pinula, Guatemala Dr. Ricardo José Arango, Manager, Local Organizing Committee, World Urban Forum Medellin 2014 and Representative of the Municipal Government of Medellin Moderator: V. Sherry Tross Executive Secretary for Integral Development GS/OAS |
|
10:15 – 10:45 |
Coffee Break |
|
10:45 – 12:30 |
Experts Panel
Yuri Giustina
Director Accessibility and Urban Planning Policies Ministry of Cities, Brazil José I. Larios Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative Inter-American Development Bank Kirstin Miller Executive Director EcoCity Builders Maria-Paz Gutierrez Senior ECPA Fellow
Moderator: Lawrence J. Gumbiner Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the OAS |
|
12:30 – 14:00 |
Lunch |
|
14:00 – 15:10 |
Moving from Demonstration to Scale: On-the-Ground Perspectives
Implementers of demonstration projects in clean energy and energy efficiency, transport, waste management, and resilience to natural hazards.
Moderator: Richard Huber Chief, Biodiversity, Sustainable Land Management and Sustainable Cities Section Department of Sustainable Development GS/OAS |
|
15:10 – 15:30 |
The U.S. Experience: Climate Showcase Communities
Emma Zinsmeister U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, State & Local Climate & Energy Program |
|
15:30 – 16:00 |
Coffee Break |
|
16:00 – 16:45 |
Looking Forward: Showcasing Best Practices from the Americas at the 7th World Urban Forum in 2014
Ricardo José Arango Manager, Local Organizing Committee, World Urban Forum, Medellin 2014 |
|
16:45 – 17:00 |
Closing Remarks
V. Sherry Tross Executive Secretary for Integral Development GS/OAS |
