NEW YORK, July 20. /Dunyo IA/. A high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly dedicated to the midterm review of the implementation of the New Urban Agenda was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The event was attended by Sherzod Kudbiyev, Chairman of Uzbekistan’s National Committee for the Sustainable Development of Urbanization and the Housing Market, who presented the international community with the country’s reform results in sustainable urban development, housing policy, and infrastructure modernization.

In his address, Sherzod Kudbiyev noted that urbanization in Uzbekistan is not only a process of city growth but also an important tool for economic development, improving living standards, and creating new opportunities for citizens.

According to him, the country’s urbanization rate has increased from 40% to 51%, with around 20 million people out of Uzbekistan’s 39 million population now living in cities. Under long-term plans, this figure is expected to reach 65% by 2040.

Particular attention was given to the housing sector. Since 2016, annual housing construction volumes have increased tenfold. Over the past eight years, around 120 million square meters of housing have been commissioned, while more than 540,000 families have gained access to preferential mortgages and housing subsidies.

The forum also featured the “New Tashkent” project, which is being developed according to the principles of a green, smart, and safe city. The project was presented as an example of a new approach to sustainable urban planning.

During the visit, the Uzbek delegation held meetings with representatives of UN-Habitat and the UN Economic Commission for Europe. The sides discussed expanding cooperation, preparations for hosting the 15^th World Urban Forum (WUF15) in Uzbekistan in 2030, and the possibility of opening a UN-Habitat office in Tashkent.

An agreement was also reached to prepare a new Country Profile of Uzbekistan on Housing and Land Management. UN representatives highly praised the reforms being implemented in the country and expressed support for further cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development.