Cities Project: Maritime-Continental Silk Road Cities for Sustainable Development

Project Scope and Focus

The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) initiated the South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) among Maritime-Continental Silk Road Cities for Sustainable Development Project (Cities Project) in 2017. The project aims to promote SSTC at the city level taking advantage of the strategic opportunities offered by the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Cities Project aligns its support with the engagement and ownership of local authorities and stakeholders. It is designed to provide streamlined services which include demand-driven needs assessment, capacity development, advisory and advocacy, knowledge and technology transfer, expertise exchange, and implementation and co-financing.

By the end of 2020, over 200 cities and institutions from Africa, Arab States, Asia and Pacific and the Europe and the CIS regions actively participated in Cities Project network activities, and their development solutions and innovative experiences have been showcased. Over 40 knowledge sharing and capacity development initiatives and webinars were organized in 2020, which received over 3.3 million live views globally, and connected over 1000 cities from across 140+ countries.

The Cities Project worked with more than 80 development partners, including close to 20 UN entities, namely, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Trade Center (ITC), World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UN- Habitat, and UNRCO in many countries, as well as many other institutional partners from within and beyond the United Nations system are directly or indirectly support the Cities Project implementation.

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Recent Knowledge Products

Cities Clusters - DRR Knowledge ProductsCities Project Knowledge ProductsPublications
October 31, 2022

Training Booklet: Transitioning to Complex Risk Management and Resilient Urban Futures – Harnessing South-South Cooperation and Learning from COVID-19

Jointly organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster and Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Global Education and Training Institute (GETI), the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) under the framework…
Cities Clusters - E-commerce Knowledge ProductsCities Project Knowledge ProductsPublications
September 21, 2022

Innovative Experiences of Cities in South-South Cooperation in Cross-border E-commerce and Digital Innovation

In 2020, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and the China Association of Trade in Services (CATIS) jointly organized a webinar series on "South-South and Triangular Cooperation Among Cities…
Cities Clusters - DRR Knowledge ProductsCities Project Knowledge ProductsPublications
May 6, 2022

Spotlighting: Cities and Other Sub-National COVID-19 Responses for SSTC (UNOSSC-UNDRR, 2022)

From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to its global spread, the crisis has had negative impacts on individuals, communities, and societies, particularly on the most vulnerable people in the…
Cities Clusters - E-commerce Knowledge ProductsCities Project Knowledge Products
April 30, 2021

Training Report: Cross-border E-commerce & Digital Innovation

Training Report: SSC & TrC Among Cities on Cross-border E-commerce & Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development E-commerce is an effective instrument with which developing countries can unlock the opportunities offered…

Recent News & Pilot Projects

Capacity Development InitiativesCities ProjectEvents
May 12, 2023

UNDRR GETI, UNOSSC, PAHO/WHO, WHO Joint Certificate Training: Whole-of-society Approach to Creating Healthy, Resilient and Sustainable Cities

When: 7, 14, 21, 27 June 2023 - 8:00 New York | 14:00 Geneva | 19:00 Bangkok | 21:00 Incheon. Venue: Virtually through UNOSSC virtual training platform (Access link will…
Cities Clusters - TourismCities ProjectEvents
March 20, 2023

Webinar: Results and Opportunities of the Pilot Initiative on South-South Cooperation Between Cities on Sustainable Tourism, 29 March 2023

When: 29 March 2023, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (NY Time) Concept Note: To download the Concept Note, please click here. With its gradual positioning on the public agendas of the Sustainable…
Cities Clusters - TransportCities ProjectNews
December 19, 2022

UNOSSC, UNDP Chile and UNDP China Launch Cities Pilot Initiative in Santiago, Chile to Promote Sustainable and Low-carbon Transportation

13 December 2022, Beijing: The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Offices in China and Chile have announced the launch of a…
Cities Clusters - TourismCities ProjectNews
December 7, 2022

Experience Exchange on Heritage Protection Held Among Cities in China, Colombia and Peru

On 30 November 2022, the Cities Project of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) held an online exchange on the protection, development, and promotion of historical and cultural…
Cities Clusters - DRRCities ProjectNews
November 10, 2022

Launch of Cities Project Pilot on SSTC for Sustainable Disaster Risk Governance in Lebanon

On 10 November 2022, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) Cities project team, UNDP China and Lebanon co-organized a virtual pilot kick-off meeting to formally start the implementation…
Cities Clusters - COVID-19Cities Clusters - E-commerceCities ProjectNews
November 2, 2022

Experience Exchange on Gender Equality and Women’s Entrepreneurship Held Among Cities in China, Jordan and Peru

On 28 October 2022, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) organized an online exchange on gender equality and women’s entrepreneurship, bringing together officials and representatives from the Greater…
Cities Clusters - E-commerceCities ProjectNews
September 21, 2022

UNOSSC and CATIS Launch E-commerce Report at the 2022 Global Cross-border E-commerce Conference

Under the theme of "Digitalization of Cross-border E-commerce Boosts Common Development of RCEP," the 2022 Global Cross-Border E-Commerce Conference was held in Guangzhou, China on August 26. At the opening,…
Cities Clusters - E-commerceCities Clusters - TransportCities ProjectNews
September 21, 2022

Cities Exchange on Logistics Held Among China, Ghana and Uzbekistan to Facilitate Partnership Brokering

On 20 September 2022, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) organized an online exchange on logistics among Ejisu and Kumasi of Ghana, Zhengzhou of China, and the Jizzakh…

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Also available on BiliBili

Also available on BiliBili

Also available on BiliBili

Also available on BiliBili