It's a busy time for CAP and our member Institutes with lots of on ground activities and preparations for Habitat 3 in Ecuador in October where the New Urban Agenda is likely to be adopted and discussions held around implementation projects to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

CAP will be holding its biennial business meetingand a joint conference with the New Zealand Institute (www.capconference.com) and we hope to see you there.

CAP currently represents over 40 000 planners from 27countries throughout the Commonwealth including African, Asian, Australasian and Caribbean countries.   CAP also has a Women in Planning network and a Young Planners network and plays a leading role in developing the planning profession and planners throughout the countries of the Commonwealth.

CAP works closely with other key stakeholders, such as UN Habitat, other Commonwealth professional associations and ComHabitat, and planning networks from beyond the Commonwealth, in promoting planning as being essential to sustainable development. CAP has presented at a series of Commonwealth, World Urban Forum and UN Habitat events calling for the endorsement of core values of planning for climate change, health, marine areas and small island states, good governance, gender equality and sustainable inclusive and equitable development. Good planning helps secure manage growth, and contributes to the wellbeing of individuals, communities and natural environments.

CAP will continue to work with our global partners and members to advocate for good planning and to assist the profession and I look forward to leading the association in this important work.

I would like to thank the Secretary-General of CAP, Clive Harridge who continues to volunteer and assist this organisation. I would also like to thank the Royal Town Planning Institute for their ongoing support of CAP specifically through the hosting of the CAP secretariat Annette O Donnell.

Dy Currie

CAP President