KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 — The World Urban Forum 9 (WUF9) today concluded its mega meeting with the consensus of 165 nations on the Kuala Lumpur (KL) Declaration, which agreed on adapting inclusivity and innovative solutions to create sustainable cities by 2030.

In the closing speech, Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government minister Tan Sri Noh Omar said Malaysia will uphold the principles and goals of the declaration and ensure necessary actions are implemented.

He said the government will ensure the policies, strategies and action plans are enforced and implemented with the right support in terms of finance, coordination, manpower and machinery.

"We give priority on urban issues and climate change without compromising on rural equality social cohesion and economic growth in all sectors.

"We ensure the voices of the people are listened to and partnerships developed to have more effective actions and desired outcomes for the good of all,” said Noh in a speech he read on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

At the national level, Noh said the strategies and actions of the Budget 2018 and 11th Malaysia plans will be implemented effectively and efficiently to address the needs of the people.

He said this includes the government’s aim to build one million affordable houses, which was introduced in 2013, with the collaborations of state governments and the private sector.

He said the government will increase the competitiveness of the cities, namely KL, Johor Bahru, Kuching, and Kota Kinabalu, which were selected to spur economic growth.

"To support national innovation/ our major cities need to innovate to stay relevant. Today major cities in the world do not only compete for investments but also for best talents to transform themselves,” he said.

"A forum as such as this is pertinent for us to share ideas and actions to see ourselves working towards a common goal in making our future city as places for all. So that no one is left behind.

"I hope each and every one of you have taken every opportunity to fully grasp and appreciate all the success stories shared, transformative ideas and innovative ways to deal with issues of urbanisation for a successful implementation of the New Urban Agenda.”

The ninth edition of the forum, which was organised by the UN Habitat, was attended by nearly 23,000 participants with 102 ministers and deputy ministers. It was the first WUF conference led to the development of the New Urban Agenda, a guideline for sustainable urban policies.

The biennial event will commence in 2020, hosted by the United Arab Emirates government in the city of Abu Dhabi.