In a historic first for South America, Bogota, Colombia, has been chosen as the host city for the third Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, also known as the Shanghai Award. The ceremony will take place on October 31, coinciding with World Cities Day. This prestigious award, jointly presented by the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Shanghai government, honors cities worldwide for their innovative efforts and achievements in advancing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda. Liu Qianwei, Chief Engineer of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing, Urban-rural Development and Management, highlighted the significance of this year’s event during a recent press briefing. He noted that the award evaluates cities based on a comprehensive set of criteria, including economic vitality, urban prosperity, ecological construction, green development, urban safety, resilience development, and capacity building for sustainable development. Last year’s winners included Agadir in Morocco, Thiruvananthapuram in India, Doha in Qatar, Iztapalapa in Mexico, and Melbourne in Australia. The inaugural award in 2023 recognized Brisbane in Australia, Fuzhou in China, George Town in Malaysia, Kampala in Uganda, and Salvador in Brazil. Liu emphasized that the Shanghai Award’s global reach continues to expand, with last year’s ceremony held in Egypt, marking its first presentation outside of China. This year’s event in Bogota further underscores the growing international influence of China’s urban sustainable development practices and highlights the ongoing collaboration between China and the UN in this critical field.