Reviewing Habitat III Issues

The substantive debate is now on and running in the current process leading to the 2016 Habitat III summit in October 2016. As an active stakeholder in that debate, Habitat International Coalition (HIC) has issued its compilation of inputs from Members and officers following their review of the Habitat III Issue Papers issued this summer. The 22 thematic contributions from technical experts selected by the UN-Habitat/Habitat III Secretariat form a framework for the deliberations leading up to the Third United Nations Conference on Urban Development (formerly UN Conference on Housing and Human Settlements), also known as Habitat III, in October 2016.

The HIC compilation on the Issue Papers views them as “essential reading” for all Habitat III stakeholders. Meanwhile, the commentaries point out many outstanding issues, information needed and methodological challenges remaining in the debate, as represented by the 22 Papers. While they fill much of the content to be considered at Habitat III, they also reflect important gaps and omissions.

Consistent with HIC’s position pronounced at the World Urban Forum (Medellín, 2014), the Coalition calls for maintaining the integrity of Habitat II’s inspired and inspiring scope and commitments. That would require the pursuit of a New Habitat Agenda, not narrowing the global policy to merely an “urban” agenda. Reviewing the Policy Papers, HIC makes a strong case for the restoration of the human rights approach that was promised at Habitat II (1996), but never applied. While that global policy framework expires next year, this HIC review articulates the need for an evaluation of the Habitat II commitments as a prerequisite to any process toward a new agenda that is relevant, coherent, implemented and measurable.

This HICompliation is organized in the form of (1) an introductory overview, (2) an issue-specific review of each of the 22 Issue Papers and (3) a brief conclusion. HIC has shared this submission also with the Habitat III Secretariat and in the e-discussions of the Habitat III Urban Dialogues.

 Download HIC Comments on the Habitat III Issue Papers