Nairobi - New York: Europe and the Arabs
More than 2.8 billion people around the world today suffer from inadequate housing, including more than 1.1 billion living in informal settlements or slums, and more than 300 million people experiencing complete homelessness. Against this backdrop, the UN-Habitat Assembly resumed its second session in the Kenyan capital to address one of the most pressing and interconnected challenges of our time: the global housing crisis. According to the UN Daily News, "Nearly 1,200 delegates gathered at the UN Office in Nairobi to discuss the crisis, with the ultimate goal of adopting the new UN-Habitat Strategic Plan for 2026-2029.
At the core of this plan is a clear and specific agenda for advancing adequate housing, secure land tenure, and the provision of basic services—particularly in informal settlements and disadvantaged communities—as a path to peace, climate resilience, and inclusive prosperity."
In her opening remarks to the Assembly, UN-Habitat Executive Director Annacludia Rossbach called for coordinated global action grounded in human rights, dignity, and multilateral solidarity.
"Without action, this crisis will continue to undermine efforts to reduce poverty, promote equality, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals," she said.
Ms. Rossbach added that the Strategic Plan represents "a turning point for the future," and that its approach is critical "at a time when our cities are bearing the brunt of multiple crises." and intertwined, from conflict and displacement to the escalating impacts of climate change.
She emphasized that the plan also places a strong emphasis on partnerships and alliances, which the program has already expanded with its partners and sister UN agencies. She added that the program is also deepening its collaboration with international financial institutions and cities "to enhance the implementation of key priorities at the subnational level."
UN Support for the Plan
In a video message to the Assembly, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, "We cannot build a livable world if people do not have a place to live." He added that the strategic plan being discussed in Nairobi reaffirms that housing is a human right, describing it as a public good that provides a way to "contribute to the enhancement of dignity, security, and opportunity."
For her part, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen noted that as climate change worsens, "more city dwellers will be exposed to extreme temperatures, water scarcity, and rising sea levels, unless we do something."
She emphasized that the international community can work together to support cities "in their quest to become more livable and more sustainable, and to be The focus of action to address the triple planetary crisis.
The President of the UN General Assembly, Philemon Yang, also delivered a video message to the resumed session, calling for "turning challenges into opportunities, and building cities that are engines of prosperity, resilience, and equity for future generations."
He emphasized the need for concerted efforts by governments, civil society, the private sector, and local communities "to ensure that no one is left behind in the cities and settlements of today and tomorrow." It is worth noting that the resumed session of the UN-Habitat Assembly concluded yesterday, Friday.