BRICS Conference In AP On Urbanization Ends

The BRICS forum held in Visakhapatnam called for a new "social contract" among governments, the general population and the stakeholders of the five nations, and for collective efforts to address various challenges associated with urban transition and enable an "urban renaissance".

Several ministers, experts, members of academia, and representatives of agencies and organizations working in the urban sector from the member countries attended the forum.

Addressing the closing session of the three-day conference, the Union Minister of State for Urban Development Rao Inderjit Singh said that there was a lot of scope for cooperation among the BRICS nations on the matters concerning urban development due to the experiences of the respective nations and their shared goals.

He also said that five nations should ensure effective actions in pursuit of the new agenda for urban areas which is to be finalised at the HABITAT-III Conference at Quito in Ecuador next month.

Later, representatives of the five nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - emphasized the need for an integrated approach to solve urban development issues in their respective nations. They also said that inclusive growth and sustainable urban development were the cornerstones of urbanization in the block's nations.

Andhra Pradesh Minister for Municipal Affairs and Urban Development P Narayana, too, addressed the session and gave an account of the initiatives being taken by the State government to enable transparent governance in urban areas.

All the expert suggestions and perspectives in the forum were documented and will be considered by the leaders of the member nations at the 8th BRICS Summit that will be held in Goa next month.