Second United Nations Habitat Assembly Concluded

The Second United Nations Habitat Assembly (UNHA2) concluded its activities on 10 June in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Assembly called on African countries to promote non-motorized urban mobility in order to hasten the realization of carbon neutrality.

The Assembly brought together representatives from member states, civil society organizations, and more stakeholders, including strong representation from the Arab region, to discuss and formulate strategies for sustainable urbanization globally.

A number of ministerial delegations from over eight countries in the Arab region participated, with major engagement in high-level discussions and side events addressing topics, including localization of SDGs, adequate housing, urban resilience, urban climate change challenges and financing for sustainable urban development.

Speaking ahead of the Assembly, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, said: "The Assembly is an important platform for Member States and stakeholders to come together and discuss strategies for sustainable urbanization. We look forward to a productive and fruitful Assembly that will help accelerate progress towards achieving our common goals of sustainable urban development.

The theme for the UNHA2 was “A sustainable urban future through inclusive and effective multilateralism: achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in times of global crises.”

The Assembly provided a platform for member states and stakeholders to share their views and adopt guidelines and recommendations to progress toward achieving sustainable urban development.

The United Nations Assembly is the UN’s highest-level legislative body on sustainable urbanization and human settlements, comprised of 193 Member States. It meets once in four years. The First United Nations Habitat Assembly took place in 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya.