Press Release

January 14, 2022

THE WORLD URBAN PAVILION'S PREPATORY INTERNATIONAL BOARD MEETING

January 2022, Toronto & Nairobi - The World Urban Pavilion in Regent Park was delighted to host its first preparatory meeting for its International Board. The Board’s two Co-chairs, Rafael Tuts, Director of Global Solutions Division of UN-Habitat and Romy Bowers, President of CMHC discussed the role of the board and the important role that the Pavilion will play to support cities across the globe in realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This is the next chapter for the Pavilion as a global knowledge exchange hub for sustainable urban development. The two co-chairs were also joined by the Pavilion’s Steering Committee, Debbie Stewart, Vice President of Innovation and Partnership of CMHC, Frank D'hondt, Secretary General of ISOCARP, Julie Ward, Former British Member of European Parliament, Ibrahim Afrah, Regent Park Community Member, and Reza Pourvaziry, Chair of Urban Economy Forum (UEF). Other participants included Mitchell Cohen, President of The Daniels Corporation, Anantha Krishan, Secretary General of UEF, Alex Venuto, Chief Strategy Officer of UEF.

“We want to use [UN-Habitat's] presence in the Pavilion to showcase research, good practices, innovation in this topic of affordable, safe and adequate housing as well as urban revitalization as Regent Park is a supreme example of, then move from the bottom up to the national and global levels which we will try to do through the SDG Cities flagship program. It is one of the five flagship programs that our agency has prioritized for its current strategic plan.” – Rafael Tuts, Director of Global Solutions Division of UN-Habitat.

The meeting was a testimony to the growing partnership that continues to blossom between UN-Habitat and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (Government of Canada) and how international cooperation in the Pavilion is a jumping point for realizing the SDGs and sustainable urbanisation. 

“There are huge opportunities for us to work together to create visibility for the work of the Pavilion and CMHC’s mandate is very much aligned with the SDG 11. CMHC exists so that everyone in Canada has a home that they can afford and meets their needs. In my mind, there is no doubt that everything that we do aligns with the work of the Pavilion.” – Romy Bowers, President of CMHC.

The meeting also discussed critical dates for the Pavilion’s in 2022, including organizing the International Board’s first meeting on April the 21st on the occasion of World Creativity and Innovation Day. Participants also agreed to launch the Pavilion in March and will introduce its first exhibition with a main focus on housing and knowledge, titled Urban Canada. 



“Now that the Pavilion’s structure, governance, and programming has been agreed upon by the founding partners, the establishment of the International Board is a great opportunity to bring the Pavilion to the rest of the World. We are inviting ministers, mayors, and urban leaders from countries around the world to participate in the International Board and share their progress and approaches to achieving the SDGs with cities at the centre of this conversation.” – Reza Pourvaziry, Chair of Urban Economy Forum.