1. The Cities A l l i a n c e www.citiesalliance.org A G LOBAL P ARTNERSHIP W ITH C ITIES TO M EET THE C HALLENGE OF P RO -P OOR P OLICIES AND P ROSPEROUS C ITIES W ITHOUT S LUMS

2. W HY S HOULD W E B E I N T HE C ITIES A LLIANCE ? W HY F OCUS ON THE U RBAN P OOR? H OW C AN W E P ARTICIPATE?

3. Over the past 25 years, the urban growth rate in the developing world was 3 times higher than the rural growth rate. Over the next 25 years, the urban growth rate will be 25 times higher than rural growth rate. Rural and urban development are interdependent. Why focus on the urban poor? United Nations, “World Urbanization Prospects,” 1999 revision. In the next 15 years, many cities in Africa and Asia will nearly double in population.

4. Why focus on the urban poor? Poverty is rapidly urbanizing - growing in both scale and extent. By 2025, two-thirds of the poor in LAC and Eastern Europe and over one-third of the poor in Asia will live in cities. Africa, urbanizing at an unprecedented rate, will see at least one-third of its poor in urban areas within a generation. UNCHS Global Urban Indicators Database

5. They merit the basic rights of urban citizens. They save with and borrow from each other. They build their own shelter. They create their own networks when formal institutions fail to serve them. Why focus on the urban poor? “…what we are now seeing…is that the poor have done much more for themselves than what we can actually do for them. For example, what the poor in Egypt have (in assets) is about 100 times more than all the foreign aid that they received in the last 50 years.” - “…what we are now seeing…is that the poor have done much more for themselves than what we can actually do for them. For example, what the poor in Egypt have (in assets) is about 100 times more than all the foreign aid that they received in the last 50 years.” -Hernando DeSoto. The Mystery of Capital.

6. Why should we be in the Cities Alliance? “A unique feature of the Alliance is its plurality: international financial institutions, UN agencies, local authority associations, NGOs, and the business community. This will guarantee that a broad spectrum of expertise and resources will be put together to foster urban development and improve the living conditions of millions of people.” -Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy. Local Authority Organizations Bilateral Organizations Multilateral Organizations UNCHS (HABITAT) WORLD BANK UTO IULA METROPOLIS WACLAC CANADA FRANCE GERMANY ITALY JAPAN NETHERLANDS NORWAY SWEDEN UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES CITIES ALLIANCE CONSULTATIVE GROUP SECRETARIAT POLICY ADVISORY BOARD

7. The goal is to make unprecedented improvements in the living conditions of the urban poor through collective action in two key areas: City development strategies which reflect a shared vision for the city’s future and local priorities for action to reduce urban poverty. Citywide and nationwide slum upgrading to improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. Why should we be in the Cities Alliance?

8. What is the value added? Advancing collective know-how to: Improve the quality of urban development cooperation and urban lending by sharpening the focus on scaling-up successes. Strengthen the impact of urban development cooperation by more directly linking it with investment follow-up. Use existing resources to achieve greater value through enhanced collaboration and synergies built through the Alliance. Engage partner networks in developing new tools and practical approaches for knowledge sharing. The Alliance relies on the experience and expertise of its partners for implementation.

9. Build political commitment and shared vision Create learning alliance to fill knowledge gaps Catalyze citywide and nationwide impacts Why should we be in the Cities Alliance?

10. CITIES PROVIDE LOCAL SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL PROBLEMS Promoting gender equality Reducing poverty Reducing infant and maternal mortality Reversing HIV/AIDS Expanding employment opportunities Reducing vulnerability Promoting cultural heritage Promoting inclusion Securing tenure Expanding access to credit Sustaining the environment Promoting education opportunities Expanding access to basic infrastructure Why should we be in the Cities Alliance? Promoting economic opportunities