On May 25, 2012, a meeting of I.M.Metelskiy, Vice-Governor of St.Petersburg, and Joan Clos, Under Secretary General of UN and Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT),was arranged in Smolny with the assistance of St.Petersburg Committee for External Relations.
On May 25, 2012, a meeting of I.M.Metelskiy, Vice-Governor of St.Petersburg, and Joan Clos, Under Secretary General of UN and Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT),was arranged in Smolny with the assistance of St.Petersburg Committee for External Relations.
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) is a key body within the UN system to promote international cooperation in the area of sustainable urban development. The mandate of the program implies: promotion of new methods for solving the problems of urbanization, assistance for countries and regions in addressing the problems of human settlements and urban infrastructure, ensuring the experience exchange and dissemination of new technologies in the management and improvement of human settlements.
During the meeting, I.M.Metelskiy, Vice Governor of St.Petersburg, noted the importance of meeting with the leader of Habitat Programme in the context of the adoption of the Concept of socio-economic development of St.Petersburg until 2020 by the City Government, as well as the importance of cooperation with the Program for Implementing the modern world practice in St.Petersburg covering the full range of effective solutions to the problems of megacities in order to bring the urban environment and quality of life in line with the European and world standards.
Executive Director of UN-Habitat noted the efforts of St.Petersburg Government for the preservation of historical urban environments, and in this regard showed his interest in co-operation program with St.Petersburg together with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, to exercise the mechanisms for preservation and management of historical cities, providing conditions for their of development.
Joan Clos invited St.Petersburg to participate in the World Urban Forum to be held in Naples on September 1 through 7, 2012. Joan Clos suggested the Government of St.Petersburg to sign a memorandum of cooperation with the UN-HABITAT and expressed his willingness to run in St.Petersburg a preparatory seminar on improving the regulatory mechanisms of redistribution of urban areas for sustainable urban development in 2013.
Vice-governor said that the city was currently preparing for the St.Petersburg International Economic Forum to be held on June 21 through 23. This is an important event in the life of St.Petersburg, attended by the leaders and members of governments, leaders of the world's largest companies and international organizations, respected politicians and experts.
I.M.Metelsky, Vice-Governor of St.Petersburg, suggested J.Clos, Executive Director of the UN-HABITAT, to consider participating in the St.Petersburg International Economic Forum.