On April 18^th 2016, in preparation for Habitat III, UNDP together with the Permanent Missions of Lebanon and Norway to the UN, City College of New York - CUNY, UN-Habitat, and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), in coordination with the Global Alliance for Urban Crises organized a panel discussion on: 'The nexus between urbanization, violence and conflict: Linking SDG 11 and SDG 16'.  

By 2050, 70 percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas. Rapid urbanization is producing new contexts through which violence and conflict operate and it is critical to understand these complex dynamics. Urban settings have characteristics, which require effective, context-specific approaches. Violence and conflict in urban areas can involve different kinds of violence and can be driven by diverse vectors such as political, socio-economic, institutional and environmental. The event engaged academics, policy makers and member states and enhanced understanding of the nexus between urbanization, violence, and conflict in fragile settings. These key messages emanated from the event and should be given consideration in the discussion on the New Urban Agenda.