With the first ever UN-Habitat Assembly set to commence Monday, Maimunah Sharif, undersecretary-general and executive director of UN-Habitat, said she is optimistic that participants will have an opportunity to learn from Chinese urbanization.

Sharif said China has achieved much in city planning and poverty eradication, and she hopes that Chinese representatives will share their experiences with assembly participants.

During a recent visit to China, Sharif said she was impressed by how a village in Xuzhou had been transformed from a mining area to a green and productive region.

"When I enquired about the secret to such a transformation, I was told it was community involvement. I consider such a move an innovation that can be replicated in other countries," she said.

Sharif has also been struck by the development of transportation networks in China: "I traveled from Beijing to Xuzhou via train. It was very systematic, punctual and clean. Such transportation is key to improving productivity and employment," she said.

Sharif also spoke of China's poverty-reduction initiatives and the involvement of retired people in this work, highlighting it as a positive example from which other countries can learn.

"It's important to learn the process to such developments from the Chinese. I hope the Chinese delegation will share the same during the side events," she said.

Sharif said she held a lengthy discussion with the mayor of Shanghai during her visit to China earlier this year on how the city's manual can be used by other cities facing similar challenges.

"We would like to see the Shanghai manual linked with the challenges faced by cities across the globe, so that it can act as a guide," she said.