The European Union and its Member States have endorsed an action-oriented implementation of the New Urban Agenda, anchored in the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, the Pact for the Future and the Sevilla Commitment, according to a statement delivered on 16 July 2026 at the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the Midterm Review of the New Urban Agenda. The statement, delivered by EU Ambassador Renaud Savignat, outlined four EU priorities: housing, localization and multilevel governance, a gender-responsive and disability-inclusive approach, and climate and environmental resilience. The EU welcomed the adoption of the Political Declaration on the mid-term review, thanking the Permanent Representatives of Poland and Malawi for their leadership.
The EU highlighted the need to address the global housing crisis, emphasizing adequate, affordable, energy-efficient and quality housing for all, and welcomed the recognition of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Adequate Housing for All. On localization, the EU called for inclusive multilevel governance systems that empower local governments and ensure financial resources reach the local level, in line with the Sevilla Commitment. The EU also stressed the importance of gender equality and disability inclusion, including age- and gender-responsive planning and budgeting, and attention to gender-based violence in public spaces. On climate and environmental resilience, the EU supported coherence between the New Urban Agenda and the Paris Agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, calling for integration of climate action and biodiversity into urban planning, sustainable energy, disaster risk reduction, and circular economy approaches. The EU also noted the Declaration's recognition of data, technology and innovation for evidence-based urban development, and reaffirmed support for UN-Habitat. Through its Global Gateway strategy, the EU is mobilizing financing for sustainable urban energy, mobility, water and digital infrastructure in partner countries. The statement was also endorsed by candidate countries including Turkey, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, as well as Armenia, San Marino, and the United Kingdom.