
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme is the United Nations programme for human settlements and sustainable urban development. It was established in 1978 as an outcome of the First UN Conference on Human Settlements and Sustainable Urban Developmen…
Full Answer
What does UN Habitat stand for?
UN-Habitat: United Nations Human Settlements Programme. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
What is the United Nations human settlements programme?
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
What is the mandate of UN Habitat?
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.
What is the parent organization of human settlement?
Parent organization. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–Habitat) is the United Nations agency for human settlements and sustainable urban development. It was established in 1978 as an outcome of the First UN Conference on Human Settlements and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat I) held in Vancouver, Canada, in 1976.

What does UN-Habitat mean?
The United Nations Human Settlements ProgrammeThe United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
What is UN-Habitat Assembly?
UN-Habitat Assembly is a universal body composed of the 193 member states of the United Nations and convenes every four years (A/RES/73/239).
Is Habitat a UN agency?
UN-Habitat maintains its headquarters at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya. It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all....United Nations Human Settlements Programme.Websitewww.unhabitat.orgPolitics portal9 more rows
How is UN-Habitat funded?
UN-Habitat's is mainly supported financially by voluntary contributions from governments and inter-governmental donors. Other partners, such as local authorities, the private sector, and other United Nations bodies and multilateral organizations, provide funding for specific programmes.
Do UN Habitat pay interns?
Interns receive no remuneration. Costs of travel and accomodation, living expenses included, are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns are solely responsible for obtaining the necessary visas and arranging their travel to their duty station.
Who is the head of UN Habitat?
Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif ofMs. Maimunah Mohd Sharif of Malaysia is the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN‐Habitat), appointed by the Secretary‐General, following an election by the General Assembly on 22 December 2017.
What is habitat example?
A habitat is a home environment for plants and animals or other organisms. Examples of habitats include: desert. meadow.
What are the types of habitat?
The two main types of habitats are terrestrial, or land habitats and aquatic, or water, habitats. Forests, deserts, grasslands, tundra, and mountains are just a few examples of terrestrial habitats.
Does UN Habitat monitor right to city?
It prioritises collective right over the individual right to urban space. It gives every inhabitant, and not just the legal citizens, the right to not just occupy a pre-existing urban space but also to produce spaces according to their needs.
Is UN-Habitat part of UNDP?
UN-Habitat and UNDP have enjoyed a longstanding partnership and now we have an opportunity to capitalize on each other's strengths to move forward together in areas ranging from local economic development, to decentralized service delivery and supporting low-carbon resilient development.”
Is UN-Habitat part of the Secretariat?
The UN-Habitat Secretariat is the executive organ of UN-Habitat, in charge of coordinating the programme. It designs, implements, manages and monitors UN-Habitat's urban initiatives and human settlements development projects, and provides the Governing Council with strategic recommendations.
What is new urban agenda?
The New Urban Agenda represents a shared vision for a better and more sustainable future. It provides guidance on how well-planned and well-managed urbanisation can be a transformative force for sustainable development for both developing and developed countries, to accelerate towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
What are the agencies of UN?
Main BodiesGeneral Assembly.Security Council.Economic and Social Council.Trusteeship Council.International Court of Justice.Secretariat.
Which is not an agency of UN?
The correct answer is World Trade Organisation.
What are UN specialized agencies?
Specialized AgenciesFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.International Atomic Energy Agency.International Criminal Court.International Fund for Agricultural Development.International Labour Organization.International Monetary Fund.International Organization for Migration.More items...
What is the largest UN agency?
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) FAO is the largest of the UN agencies. It was established in 1945 and its headquarters is in Rome, Italy.
What is the UN Habitat?
The UN-Habitat’s vision of “a better quality of life for all in an urbanizing world” is bold and ambitious. UN-Habitat works with partners to build inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities. UN-Habitat promotes urbanization as a positive transformative force for people and communities, reducing inequality, discrimination and poverty.
How does UN Habitat work?
SHARE: Through advocacy, communication and outreach, UN-Habitat mobilizes public, political and financial support and collaborative action to inspire qualitative change in national development plans, policy frameworks, development practice and investment choices for sustainable urban development at the local, national and global level.
How does urbanization affect human life?
With humanity becoming increasingly urban, trends indicate poverty is also becoming increasingly urban. Sustainable urbanization improves the lives of people in human settlements around the world and increases prosperity. Sustainable urbanization increases food security.
How does urbanization improve food security?
The presence of cultivatable land for farming provides food for urban areas and supports agricultural productivity whilst improving the livelihoods of rural populations .
How does sustainable urbanization affect the environment?
These sustainable patterns of production and consumption increase cities productivity and reduce negative environmental impacts.
What is sustainable urbanization?
Sustainable urbanization and better urban planning, including the development of green infrastructures and the safe management and treatment of waste, can conserve and restore terrestrial ecosystems. Peaceful, inclusive and sustainable cities rely on the kind of institutions we build in cities.
What is UN Habitat's normative work?
THINK: UN-Habitat’s normative work, including groundbreaking research and capacity-building, sets standards, proposes norms and principles, shares good practice, monitors global progress and supports formulation of policies related to sustainable cities and human settlements.
What is the aim of UN Habitat?
The ambitious objective also reflects the UN-Habitat aim to develop and implement integrated programmes with a view to achieving greater impact. The organization therefore is “people-focused” and spearheads interventions that are holistic rather than sectoral, transformative rather than fragmentary and which link urbanization and human settlements with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the humanitarian–peace–development nexus, as proposed under the Secretary-General’s United Nations reforms
Why is UN Habitat important?
Equally important is the significant progress being made in the harmonization of urban data production for better comparability. Wide consultations between UN-Habitat and other partners were conducted to adopt a standalone functional definition of cities and urban areas to enable countries to better compare and aggregate data in a consistent manner. UN-Habitat has also developed the National Sample of Cities approach to ensure a systemic reporting, higher comparability within and among countries, and to enable the aggregation of regional values. In parallel, the agency is now finalizing the NUA indicators framework which will be used to track progress for implementation of the NUA among member states.
What is the UN Habitat flagship programme?
The UN-Habitat flagship programme on SDG cities builds on interlinkages across SDG goals and targets in urban areas. It responds to the fact that ineffective systems of urban governance, limited capacities in urban planning, lack of local resources and funding and poor or non-existent mechanisms to measure results for and impacts on populations seriously impede the achievement of the urban SDGs. To realize the potential of cities to drive the achievement of the SDGs, the flagship programme will work with cities, other levels of government, communities, business sector and development partners to connect the value chain of data; evidence-based policy; capacity in governance, planning and financing; and, impact investments, to accelerate the achievement of SDGs in cities.
What is the role of UN-Habitat in the HLPF?
UN-Habitat has participated in all rounds of the HLPF and organizes meetings with its Executive Board on the UN-Habitat contribution to the HLPF. It supports its member states to undertake VNRs and VLRs. It also partners with member states to jointly highlight key issues during side-events and other meeting formats of the HLPF. For instance, together with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development of Ghana and the Department of Human Settlements of South Africa, UN-Habitat organized a side event to present the “Partnership to achieve SDG Target 11.1: Working together to transform one billion lives”.
What percentage of the world population will live in cities by 2050?
By 2050, seventy per cent of the world population is predicted to live in urban settlements. Cities, as well as being centres of promise and innovation, are also the epicentre of many of the challenges of sustainability. As the majority of SDGs have an urban focus, their sustained implementation at the local level is particularly important.
How does urban regeneration help?
Inclusive, Vibrant Neighbourhoods and Communities : Urban regeneration initiatives contribute to reduced spatial inequality and poverty by transforming socially, economically, and environmentally deprived areas in cities, targeting to improve the living standards of 500 million people by 2030.
What are the five flagship programs of UN Habitat?
For instance, they strengthen the integration of social inclusion dimensions in UN-Habitat’s programmatic work, notably human rights, gender, children, youth and older persons, and disability.
What is the UN Habitat?
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme ( UN-Habitat) is the United Nations programme for human settlements and sustainable urban development. It was established in 1978 as an outcome of the first United Nations Conference on Human Settlements and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat I) held in Vancouver, Canada, in 1976.
Where is the UN Habitat located?
UN-Habitat maintains its headquarters at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya. It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly 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.
What is the UN Habitat mandate?
Overview. 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, ...
Why is Habitat Day celebrated on October 1st?
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.
How many countries does UN Habitat work in?
UN-Habitat works in more than 70 countries in five continents focusing on seven areas:
What is the UN Habitat Assembly?
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.
What is the World Urban Forum?
Main article: World Urban Forum. 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.
What is the mission of UN Habitat?
UN-Habitat promotes transformative change in cities and human settlements through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action to leave no one and no place behind.
How does sustainable urbanization affect the environment?
These sustainable patterns of production and consumption increase cities productivity and reduce negative environmental impacts.
How does urbanization improve food security?
The presence of cultivatable land for farming provides food for urban areas and supports agricultural productivity whilst improving the livelihoods of rural populations .
How do sustainable cities contribute to health?
Through integrated urban planning, access to basic services, and access to decent and affordable housing, sustainable cities contribute to better health.
How can urbanization help the terrestrial ecosystem?
Sustainable urbanization and better urban planning, including the development of green infrastructures and the safe management and treatment of waste , can conserve and restore terrestrial ecosystems.
How many people live in cities in 2050?
Half the world's population now live in cities, and this is projected to increase to two-thirds by 2050. Cities can solve many of the challenges our world faces. Urban areas drive innovation, consumption and investment worldwide, making them a positive and potent force for addressing sustainable economic growth, urban development and prosperity.
What is the role of urban areas in global growth?
of global GDP is from cities. Urban areas are powerhouses of economic growth and function as catalysts for inclusion and innovation
What is the purpose of UN Habitat?
UN-Habitat now promotes socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. UN-Habitat envisions well-planned, well-governed, and efficient cities and other human settlements, with adequate housing, infrastructure, and universal access to employment and basic services such as water, energy, and sanitation.
When was Habitat I?
Habitat I was the first United Nations Conference on Human Settlements. It took place in Vancouver, Canada, from 31 May-11 June 1976. The United Nations General Assembly convened the Habitat I conference as governments began to recognize the need for sustainable human settlements and the consequences ...
Why is Habitat I important?
Of special importance is the elimination of social and racial segregation, inter alia, through the creation of better balanced communities, which blend different social groups, occupation, housing and amenities.". Habitat I also provided the foundations for the birth, in 1978, of the United Nations Human Settlements Program or UN-Habitat.

Summary
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations programme for human settlements and sustainable urban development. It was established in 1978 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 Unit…
Overview
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 Hu…
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 and design;
• Urban economy;
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 an…
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 Develop…
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 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 conditions in urban centres around the world.