General Assembly Dec 22 15GPR2C Team (*)

The United Nations General Assembly on 22 December 2015, during its seventieth session, adopted the resolution on the ‘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). The meeting approved the most inclusive modalities ever on stakeholders and local authorities’ participation.

According the UN staff, the resolution includes the approval of the outstanding issues in the preparations of the Habitat III Conference, such as the provisional rules of procedure for the Conference and the arrangements for accreditation and participation of major groups and other stakeholders as set out in annexes I and II of the resolution.

The approved rules of procedure for Habitat III recognize the participation of the representatives of local authorities accredited to the Conference in rule 64, as it happened in Habitat II in 1996.

The full decision can be read here: https://www.habitat3.org/node/518273

Right to the city for all

From 9 to 11 November 2015, the participants to the Habitat III Thematic Meeting on “Intermediate cities: Urban Grownth and Renewal”, hosted by the Municipality of Cuenca, Ecuador, debated about the relevance of these kind of cities in the overall configuration of territorial systems and their contribution to sustainable devolopment ahead of the formulation of a New Urban Agenda at the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development.

During the meeting, the members produced a declaration that emphasizes the importance of the Rigth to the City in Habitat 3.

“We advocate for the recognition of the importance of placing the right to the city for all, encompassing the notion of accessibility and affordability, at the center of urban development policies, combining citizen’s participation with the right to education, health, housing, services and employment opportunities, recognizing diversity and promoting conviviality, identity and sense of belonging”.

Click here to download The Cuenca Declaration for Habitat III.

*With UN informations