 During a high level ceremony in which were present the Governor of the State of Sao Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin, the mayor of Sao Paulo, Fernando Haddad, and the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Brazil, Jorge Chediek, UN-Habitat signed an agreement on a new initiative aiming at strengthening the new strategy for metropolitan governance in the State of São Paulo.
Alain Grimard, Officer in Charge for UN-Habitat Regional Office for Latin American and the Caribbean and Renato Pires de Carvalho Viégas, President of São Paulo State Company for Metropolitan Planning (EMPLASA), signed this new agreement during the official opening of a new UN office in Sao Paulo.
The project developed by EMPLASA and UN-Habitat aims at assisting the process of elaboration and implementation of São Paulo Macro Metropolis Action Plan. The instrument aims at the creation of a long-term planning strategy based on the formulation and implementation of integrated public policies for the Macro Metropolitan Area. Accordingly, UN-Habitat will also develop a governance strategy for the Portfolio Projects that aims at promoting a more integrated urban and economic development in the region.
According to Mr.Grimard the agreement was a milestone for UN-Habitat since it gives shape to a concrete cooperation between UN-Habitat and the largest city proper in the southern hemisphere and Americas and the world's eighth largest city by population. Furthermore, being the first project originating for this new UN office, it highlights the relevancy of our agency as a key partner for cities, and the importance for the United Nations to cooperate not only with national governments, but also with regional and municipal ones.
Comprising 173 municipalities and an extension radius of 200 kilometers from São Paulo municipality, the São Paulo Macro Metropolitan area comprehends 20 per cent of São Paulo's State territory and a population of 30 million people, which represents 73 per cent of the state total population from which 95 per cent lives in urban areas. In economic terms, São Paulo Macro Metropolitan area concentrates 83.4 per cent of the state's GDP and 27.6 per cent of the national GDP of Brazil. |
