18 September 2013: A report of the UN Secretary-General on ‘Implementation of the outcome of the UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and strengthening of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)’ describes progress in strengthening UN-HABITAT, summarizes the policy outcomes of UN-HABITAT’s Governing Council (GC), describes UN-HABITAT’s input to the post-2015 development agenda, and highlights programme activities.
The report from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (A/68/332) outlines eight resolutions from the 24th Session of UN-HABITAT’s GC, including on: urbanization and sustainable urban development in the post-2015 agenda; sustainable development through national urban policies; making slums history; the preparatory process for the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III); designation of World Cities Day; and UN-HABITAT’s biennium budget and work programme and its 2014-2019 strategic plan.
On the post-2015 agenda, the report describes UN-HABITAT’s participation in shaping the agenda, with the objective of explaining the role of sustainable urbanization and cities in sustainable national development and highlighting the need for continued focus on slums. The report emphasizes the need for the post-2015 agenda to promote economically productive, environmentally sustainable, resilient and socially inclusive cities, with attention to access to energy, housing, transport, sanitation and water. It notes that, while Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7 on slum dwellers has been met twice over, 868 million people still live in slums, and urges a new target on slums.
Highlighted activities include the Sixth World Urban Forum (WUF) and preparations for the seventh, World Habitat Day 2012, and regional meetings on housing and urban development. The report also features the publication of ‘State of the World’s Cities 2012/2013: Prosperity of Cities,’ which proposes a holistic, integrated approach to prosperity, a city prosperity index, and a ‘wheel of prosperity’ to measure cities’ progress towards prosperity.
The report concludes with recommendations on Habitat III and human settlements policy. On sustainable urbanization, it recommends, inter alia: initiating processes to review, strengthen and develop national urban policies; implementing universal principles for slum upgrading and prevention; and promoting housing policies integrating sustainable approaches.
The report is dated 19 August and was circulated as an official document on 18 September 2013. [Publication: Implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat): Report of the Secretary-General] [IISD RS Coverage of UN-HABITAT]