Turkmenistan Highlights Arkadag Smart City at World Cities Day 2026 Event at the United Nations

On 30 October 2026, the Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the United Nations participated in a special event at UN Headquarters in New York marking World Cities Day 2026. The event was organized by the Group of Friends of UN-Habitat, Sustainable Urbanization and the New Urban Agenda, co-chaired by Poland and Zimbabwe.

As an active member of the Group of Friends, Turkmenistan reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable urbanization, inclusive development and international cooperation.

Observed annually on 31 October, World Cities Day provides an important platform for advancing the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11. This year’s theme, “Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All,” underscores the importance of people-centred urban development, affordable housing and resilient communities.

A central focus of Turkmenistan’s statement was Arkadag City, a flagship smart city reflecting the country’s vision of innovative, green and sustainable urban development. The city brings together smart technologies, digital public services, green infrastructure, intelligent urban management and environmentally friendly transportation, offering practical experience in building sustainable cities of the future.

Arkadag City. Photo: Turkmenistan: Golden Age

The Permanent Representative highlighted the growing cooperation between Turkmenistan and UN-Habitat, including the assessment mission to Arkadag City, the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding and preparations for the Country Cooperation Programme 2026–2030.

As the incoming Chair of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) for 2027–2028, Turkmenistan put forward two practical initiatives.

The first is to establish a dedicated UN-Habitat–LLDC cooperation platform to exchange best practices in smart cities, affordable housing and sustainable urbanization, including lessons from Arkadag City, in support of the Awaza Programme of Action.

The second is to develop targeted technical assistance and pilot projects for cities in landlocked developing countries, focusing on sustainable infrastructure, urban connectivity, climate resilience and innovative financing.

On the occasion of World Cities Day 2026, Turkmenistan reaffirmed its readiness to contribute actively to the work of the Group of Friends, deepen cooperation with UN-Habitat and share its experience in developing Arkadag City to support smarter, greener, more inclusive and resilient cities worldwide.