“We need to act in a way that supports the capacities of communities, the private sector, civil servants, and other stakeholders at the global, local, and national levels, Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), said during the roundtable titled “Academia and Research” held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, APA reports.
“I think we need to acknowledge several existing gaps. We talk a lot about evidence, data, and research, but it is clear that there are still significant gaps in information and research. Sometimes the evidence we obtain is based only on the data that is available. Therefore, it does not fully respond to the existing needs on a global scale. I think this is one of the key points of these discussions,” Anacláudia Rossbach noted.
According to her, when looking at the challenges faced by the Global South, it becomes evident that communities, NGOs, universities, researchers, and local governments are constantly introducing innovations.
“How can we connect the strong research potential and resources available in certain regions with universities and research institutions in other regions that are closer to practice and willing to conduct research, but face shortages of resources and opportunities? I think this is a fundamental structural issue that should not be overlooked. This mismatch exists, and we must not forget it,” Anacláudia Rossbach stressed.
She added that capacity development, training, and skills enhancement are among the most frequent calls addressed to UN-Habitat. Therefore, it is extremely important to create shared content aligned with the future of cities and the New Urban Agenda, and to integrate it into partner training and capacity development programs.”
