1 December 2014: Youth participants supported the inclusion of an urban Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) in the post-2015 development agenda at the Sixth International Conference on Informal Urbanism. The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), which organized the session, brought together youth from the Arab region to discuss challenges related to integrated, inclusive and sustainable urbanization during a special session at the conference.

The Conference took place on the theme ‘Towards a Regional Agenda for Habitat III,’ and was one in a series of regional consultations that are being held in advance of the Third UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (HABITAT-III). The special session for youth was one of several events that will contribute to the Habitat-III Arab regional report and regional preparations for Habitat-III as input on the New Urban Agenda, which is expected to be adopted at HABITAT-III in 2016.

The session included roundtables on: urban planning, legislation and governance; quality of life and social inclusion; and housing and slum upgrading.

Recommendations for inclusion into the HABITAT III Arab Regional Report emphasize: overcoming social exclusion in cities; broad stakeholder participation in decision-making related to the provision of adequate housing and basic services; urban upgrading to enhance the quality of life for inhabitants; and the development of coherent and integrated legislative frameworks to prevent informal urbanism.

The conference took place in Cairo, Egypt, from 25-27 November 2014. Cairo University and the Informal Urbanism Hub co-organized the session with UN-HABITAT. [UN-HABITAT Press Release] [Website of Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS)] [Conference Website] [HABITAT III Website]