Events

ECOSOC Youth Forum 2026 14-16 April 2026 | UN Headquarters, New York (+ virtual side events) The ECOSOC Youth Forum brings together young people, Member States, and partners to exchange ideas and showcase solutions for advancing the 2030 Agenda. This year's Forum aligns with the 2026 HLPF theme and spotlights SDGs under review, including SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities and SDG 9 on industry, innovation, and infrastructure. Sessions will also feed into upcoming processes such as the World Urban Forum 2026 and the UN Water Conference.

Smart Freight Week 2026 14-16 April 2026 | De Kromhouthal, Amsterdam Smart Freight Centre's annual flagship event returns to Amsterdam, bringing together logistics professionals, policymakers, and innovators to advance net-zero freight. The week features discussions on the latest developments in sustainable logistics, networking opportunities, and industry-shaping updates. Pre-events on 13 April include an evening at the National Maritime Museum hosted by FincoEnergies, DP World, and Amazon, and a warm-up at A'dam Tower hosted by 123Carbon featuring the latest on Book & Claim and the launch of a new multimodal EAC marketplace. Contact events@smartfreightcentre.org for registration details.

82nd Session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) 20-24 April 2026 | UN Conference Centre, Bangkok, Thailand | By invitation only Ministers and key stakeholders from across Asia and the Pacific convene under the theme "Leaving no one behind: advancing a society for all ages in Asia and the Pacific." The session will address demographic transitions reshaping the region, including population ageing, youth employment, women's economic empowerment, the future of care, and building inclusive societies amid climate change, urbanization, and digitalization.

UITP Summit 2026 – Cancelled Note: The UITP Summit originally scheduled for 21-23 April in Dubai has been cancelled due to the evolving situation in the Gulf region. UITP has announced it is exploring alternative ways to share content and facilitate networking. The next UITP Summit is planned for Hamburg in 2027.

UNFCCC Climate Week 3 (CW3) 21-25 April 2026 | Yeosu Expo Convention Centre, Yeosu, South Korea | Hybrid Part of the UNFCCC Climate Weeks series, CW3 connects intergovernmental processes with practical climate action. The event brings together Party representatives, businesses, financial institutions, cities, civil society, and international partners. Open components include the Implementation Forum, featuring solution-oriented discussions on accelerating climate implementation with policymakers, private sector actors, local authorities, youth, and civil society. Participation in open components is free of charge. Registration is open via Indico.un.org. SLOCAT will be represented at this event.

UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development 2026 (RFSD2026) 21-22 April 2026 (pre-meetings 20 April) | Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland | In person only Under the theme "Transforming Together: Innovative and Equitable Actions for the SDGs," the Forum reviews progress on SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11, and 17 ahead of the 2026 HLPF. Of particular relevance to transport: the SDG 9 peer learning round table focuses on smart procurement, intelligent transport systems, and automated driving, while the SDG 11 session addresses sustainable urban mobility and road safety as key enablers of inclusive, resilient cities. The closing plenary features a multi-stakeholder panel on Beyond GDP. The Forum serves as the ECE region's official input to the HLPF.

World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026 27-29 April 2026 | United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), Nairobi, Kenya Hosted by Aga Khan University under the theme "Reimagining Africa's Health Systems: Innovation, Integration, and Interdependence," this meeting brings together leaders, policymakers, and innovators across 70+ sessions. Central themes include climate change and health systems resilience, digital health and AI, health financing, and gender equity and youth leadership. While health-focused, the event intersects with sustainable development discussions relevant to urban planning and climate action.

First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels 28-29 April 2026 | Santa Marta, Colombia Co-hosted by the governments of Colombia and the Netherlands, this landmark conference is the first in a series aimed at advancing international cooperation on phasing out fossil fuel extraction. Operating outside the traditional UNFCCC framework, it brings together government representatives, Indigenous Peoples, civil society, trade unions, and academia to explore pathways for a fast, fair, and financed transition. The conference is closely linked to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative and will be accompanied by a People's Summit, Workers Summit, and Climate Justice Flotilla (24-29 April). A follow-up conference hosted by Pacific nation-states is planned within a year. SLOCAT will be represented at this event.

ITF Summit 2026: Funding Resilient Transport 6-8 May 2026 | Congress Center Leipzig, Germany The world's largest gathering of transport ministers returns to Leipzig under the Presidency of Azerbaijan. The 2026 theme, "Funding Resilient Transport," is the second instalment in a three-year trilogy on transport resilience, exploring how to mobilise investments and financing strategies to strengthen transport systems for better long-term connectivity, efficiency, and reliability. The Summit brings together 1,000+ participants including 35+ ministers, industry leaders, and heads of international organisations. SLOCAT will be represented at this event.

World Urban Forum 13 (WUF13) 17-22 May 2026 | Baku, Azerbaijan The UN's premier global conference on sustainable urbanization, co-organized by UN-Habitat and the Government of Azerbaijan, convenes under the theme "Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities." WUF13 brings together governments, cities, civil society, the private sector, youth, and other stakeholders to respond to the global housing crisis and strengthen housing as a driver of inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban development. The forum includes partner-led events and an Urban Expo.

Asia and the Pacific Transport Forum (APTF) 2026 18-22 May 2026 | ADB Headquarters, Manila, Philippines | Hybrid ADB's flagship transport sector event, held under the theme "From Priorities to Actions," brings together senior policymakers, transport practitioners, and development partners from across the region. The forum coincides with the early implementation phase of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026-2035) and will focus on strengthening transport planning, investment, and delivery in developing member countries. Sessions cover financing approaches, technologies, institutional capacity, and practical lessons from transport project delivery. Participation is free; on-site participants cover their own travel costs.