The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
programme for
human settlements
In geography, statistics and archaeology, a settlement, locality or populated place is a community in which people live. The complexity of a settlement can range from a minuscule number of dwellings grouped together to the largest of cities ...
and
sustainable
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livin ...
urban development
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of people ...
. It was established in 1977 as an outcome of the first United Nations Conference on Human Settlements and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat I) held in Vancouver, Canada, in 1976. UN-Habitat maintains its headquarters at the
United Nations Office at Nairobi
United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON, sw, Ofisi ya Umoja wa Mataifa Nairobi) in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, is one of four major United Nations office sites where numerous different UN agencies have a joint presence. Established in 1996, ...
,
Kenya
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. It is mandated by the
United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. It is a member of the
United Nations Development Group
The United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), previously the United Nations Development Group (UNDG), is a consortium of 36 United Nations funds, programs, specialized agencies, departments and offices that play a role in development ...
. The mandate of UN-Habitat derives from the Habitat Agenda, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1996. The twin goals of the Habitat Agenda are adequate shelter for all and the development of sustainable human settlements in an
urbanizing world.
Overview
![UN-Habitat offices in Nairobi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/UN-Habitat_offices_in_Nairobi.jpg)
The UN-Habitat mandate is also derived from General Assembly resolution 3327 (XXIX), by which the Assembly established the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation; resolution 32/162, by which the Assembly established the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat); and resolution 56/206, by which the Assembly transformed the Commission on Human Settlements and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), including the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation, into UN-Habitat. The mandate of UN-Habitat is further derived from other internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the
United Nations Millennium Declaration
On 8 September 2000, following a three-day Millennium Summit of world leaders gathered in New York at the headquarters of the United Nations, the UN General Assembly
adopted some 60 goals regarding peace; development; environment; human rights; t ...
(Assembly resolution 55/2), in particular the target on achieving a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers by 2020; and the target on water and
sanitation
Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems ...
of the Plan of Implementation of the
World Summit on Sustainable Development
The World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002, took place in South Africa, from 26 August to 4 September 2002. It was convened to discuss ustainable developmentorganizations, 10 years after the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. (It was the ...
, which seeks to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe
drinking water
Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, a ...
and basic sanitation. Through Assembly resolution 65/1, Member States committed themselves to continue working towards cities without
slum
A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inh ...
s, beyond current targets, by reducing slum populations and improving the lives of slum-dwellers.
Work and projects
UN-Habitat works in more than 70 countries in five continents focusing on seven areas:
* Urban legislation, land and governance;
*
Urban planning
Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...
and design;
*
Urban economy
Urban economics is broadly the economic study of urban areas; as such, it involves using the tools of economics to analyze urban issues such as crime, education, public transit, housing, and local government finance. More specifically, it is a bra ...
;
* Urban basic services;
* Housing and
slum
A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inh ...
upgrading;
* Risk reduction and rehabilitation;
* Urban research and
capacity development.
Governance
The governance structure of the programme is made up of three decision-making bodies: the UN-Habitat Assembly, an executive board and a Committee of Permanent Representatives. Previously, The Governing Council was the decision-making body for the Programme, but it was dissolved following a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly.
The assembly is a universal body composed of the 193
member states of the United Nations
The United Nations member states are the sovereign states that are members of the United Nations (UN) and have equal representation in the UN General Assembly. The UN is the world's largest intergovernmental organization.
The criteria ...
and convenes every four years at the Headquarters of UN-Habitat in Nairobi. The first assembly was held in May 2019. The presidency of the first assembly was held by Mexico. Mexico's presidency was represented by
Martha Delgado Peralta
Martha Delgado Peralta (born 26 April 1969) is an environmentalist and the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Delgado Peralta was elected to local congress in 2003. From 2006-20 ...
the Mexican Undersecretary of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights.
The second decision-making body of the programme is the executive board, which is made up of 36 member states elected by the UN-Habitat Assembly with representatives from every regional groups. The board meets three times annually. The Committee of Permanent Representatives of UN-Habitat (CPR) is composed of all
Permanent Representatives
A permanent representative is a diplomat who is the head of a country’s diplomatic mission to an international organisation.
Organizations that receive permanent representatives from their member states include the United Nations, the World T ...
accredited to the
United Nations Office at Nairobi
United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON, sw, Ofisi ya Umoja wa Mataifa Nairobi) in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, is one of four major United Nations office sites where numerous different UN agencies have a joint presence. Established in 1996, ...
.
The UN-Habitat secretariat is headed by an executive director nominated by the
UN Secretary-General
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.
The role of the secretary-ge ...
with the approval of the
UN General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
. The current executive director is
Maimunah Mohd Sharif
Dato' Seri Paduka Maimunah binti Mohd Sharif (born 26 August 1961) is the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). She assumed office in January 2018, becoming the first Asian woman to serve as Executive ...
of Malaysia, who was appointed in December 2017. The deputy executive director is
Victor Kisob
Victor Kisob is the current Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme UN-HABITAT at the level of UN Assistant Secretary-General. He was appointed as Deputy Executive Director on 25 July 2018 by the United Nations S ...
of Cameroon who was appointed by in July 2018.
List of executive directors
#
Arcot Ramachandran
Arcot Ramachandran (1923-2018) was an Indian scientist, anthropologist, author and a former Under-Secretary General of United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, known for his scholarship on the subjects of ''heat and mass transfer'' and envir ...
, India, 1978-1992
#
Elizabeth Dowdeswell
Violet Elizabeth Dowdeswell (née Patton; born November 9, 1944) is a Canadian public servant who currently serves as the lieutenant governor of Ontario, the 29th since Canadian Confederation. She is the viceregal representative of the King ...
, Canada, 1993-1994
#
Wally N’Dow
Wally may refer to:
Music
* Wally (band), British prog rock band
** ''Wally'' (album), a 1974 album by Wally
* '' La Wally'', an opera by Alfredo Catalani
Other uses
*Wally (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*WALLY, a propos ...
, Gambia, 1994-1997
#
Darshan Johal
Darshan is a word meaning "sight" or "viewing" and it may refer to:
* Darshan (Indian religions), the auspicious sight of a Hindu or Buddhist divine image, or a holy person. Alternatively it means the study of particular religious texts or philos ...
, Canada, 1997–1998
#
Klaus Töpfer
Klaus Töpfer (born 29 July 1938) is a German politician ( CDU) and environmental politics expert. From 1998 to 2006 he was executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Early life and education
Töpfer was born in ...
, Germany, 1998–2000
#
Anna Tibaijuka, Tanzania, 2000–2010
#
Joan Clos
Joan Clos i Matheu, GCIH (; born 29 June 1949) is a Spanish politician who was mayor of Barcelona, Spain from September 1997 to September 2006. He took over from Pasqual Maragall in 1997. In 1999 he was elected to a four-year term, and was the ...
, Spain, 2010-2018
#
Maimunah Mohd Sharif
Dato' Seri Paduka Maimunah binti Mohd Sharif (born 26 August 1961) is the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). She assumed office in January 2018, becoming the first Asian woman to serve as Executive ...
, Malaysia, 2018–Present
Before 2002, the title of the head of the programme was director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements.
World Urban Forum (WUF)
The World Urban Forum is an international conference dedicated to urban issues, organized by UN-Habitat. It was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanization and how to ensure a sustainable urban development. It is organized biennially in the years between the UN-Habitat governing councils.
World Urban Campaign (WUC)
The World Urban Campaign is the world living platform on cities for sharing and learning on initiatives, actions and policies driving positive change towards sustainable urbanization. Coordinated by UN-Habitat, it is a global coalition of public, private and civil society partners seeking to raise the urban agenda. The campaign is UN-Habitat's partners' platform for the preparation of the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) held in 2016.
World Habitat Day
The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitat Day. This is an occasion to reflect on the state of our towns and cities and the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of human habitat.
UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award
The
UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award
The UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award was created by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS) in 1989 to encourage and recognize the countries, governments, organizations, and individuals who have made great contributions to the deve ...
is an award given by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in recognition of work carried out in the field of human settlements development. The aim of the award is to honour individuals and institutions instrumental in improving the
living condition
Habitability refers to the adequacy of an environment for human living. Where housing is concerned, there are generally local ordinances which define habitability. If a residence complies with those laws it is said to be habitable. In extreme e ...
s in urban centres around the world.
World Habitat Award
The UN-Habitat
World Habitat Award is presented in recognition of "projects that provide practical, innovative, solutions to current housing needs, with a particular focus on decent, affordable, adequate and sustainable housing". Established in 1985 by UN-Habitat in partnership with the Building and Social Housing Foundation, each year two awards are presented to recipients at the annual session of the Governing Council of UN-Habitat at the United Nations office in Nairobi. The goal of the award is to identify, celebrate and promote "good practice in housing projects that seek to further affordability and sustainability in housing globally".
United Nations Advisory Committee of Local Authorities
The
United Nations Advisory Committee of Local Authorities
United Nations Advisory Committee of Local Authorities (UNACLA) is a committee of local authorities that serves as an advisory
body to United Nations System for the purpose of strengthening the dialogue with local authorities from all over the
wor ...
(UNACLA) was established in 2000 in line with the UN Habitat Governing Council Resolution 17/18 of 1999 as an advisory body to strengthen the dialogue of the
UN System
The United Nations System consists of the United Nations' six principal organs (the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the UN Secretariat), ...
with
local authorities
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
in relation to the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. In September 2004, UN-HABITAT established a formal relationship with
United Cities and Local Governments
United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) is an umbrella international organisation for cities, local and regional governments, and municipal associations throughout the world that is concerned with representing and defending the interests of ...
, which now chairs UNACLA and holds 10 of its 20 seats. UCLG co-hosts the UNACLA secretariat with UN-Habitat.
Members
#
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies
The Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) is an international institute on urban management and housing at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, based in the Netherlands. IHS was founded in 1958 and has more than 60 years of history ...
(IHS)
#
International Institute of Social Studies
The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam is an independent and international graduate school of policy-oriented critical social science. ISS was established in 1952 by Dutch universities and the Neth ...
(ISS)
See also
*
City development index
The City Development Index (CDI) was developed for the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in 1996 and measures the level of development in cities. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (United Nations Human ...
*
Habitat I
The term Habitat I refers to the first United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada, 31 May – 11 June 1976, which was convened by the United Nations as governments began to recognize the magnitude and c ...
(1976),
Habitat II
Habitat II, the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements was held in Istanbul, Turkey from June 3–14, 1996, twenty years after Habitat I held in Vancouver in 1976. Popularly called the "City Summit", it brought together high-level r ...
(1996),
Habitat III
Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, took place in Quito, Ecuador, from 17 – 20 October 2016.
The UN Conferences on Housing (Habitat) are occurring in the bi-decennial cycle (1976, 1996 and 201 ...
(2016)
*
Right to housing
The right to housing (occasionally right to shelter) is the economic, social and cultural right to adequate housing and shelter. It is recognized in some national constitutions and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International ...
*
Sustainable urbanism
*
Sustainable Urban Development Network
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...
*
Urbanization
Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly t ...
References
External links
*
*
BBC News Special Report – Urban Planet
{{Authority control
Organizations established in 1978
United Nations Development Group
United Nations General Assembly subsidiary organs
Urban geography
United Nations organizations based in Nairobi