Exploring Opportunities in the Habitat III Process

Every 20 years, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–Habitat) convenes dedicated conferences to discuss matters relating to human settlements, development, and housing. In the spirit of the two previous Habitat conferences in Vancouver (1976) and Istanbul (1996), preparations for the third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) were initiated in 2013 as an inclusive and engaging process open to many stakeholders. By gathering input from various UN institutions, member states and the urban development experts, the Habitat process provides a solid base of knowledge and stakeholder commitment for the Habitat III negotiations taking place in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016. At the Habitat III conference, UN member states discussed guidelines for housing and sustainable urban development for the next 20 years. These guidelines were to be part of the final document resulting from Habitat III – the New Urban Agenda.

Against this background, adelphi advised the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on their work on the Habitat III process. As part of this project, adelphi carried out a continuous analysis of the Habitat III process, relevant actors, events, and institutions. Based on this analysis, adelphi advised the BMZ and GIZ on current developments in the Habitat III process. Additionally, adelphi developed discussion papers and other inputs related to the Habitat III process on demand, and supported policymakers, experts, and stakeholders in their discussions on the New Urban Agenda.