News (51)
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New from HIC-HLRN: “A Pandemic of Violations” |
By :HIC-HLRN |
05 October 2020 |
On the occasion of World Habitat Day (5 October 2020) and “Urban October,” HIC-HLRN has produced its annual report from the HLRN Violation Database.
This year’s review of patterns and trends in housing and land rights violation around the world is dedicated to the theme: A Pandemic of Violations: Forced Evictions More...
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New from HIC-HLRN: "A Pandemic of Violations" |
By :HIC-HLRN |
05 October 2020 |
On the occasion of World Habitat Day (5 October 2020) and “Urban October,” HIC-HLRN has produced its annual report from the HLRN Violation Database.
This year’s review of patterns and trends in housing and land rights violation around the world is dedicated to the theme: A Pandemic of Violations: Forced Evictions More...
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One Species Responsible for COVID-19 - Us |
By :Josef Settele, Sandra Díaz, Eduardo Brondizio[1] and Peter Daszak[2] |
27 April 2020 |
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
COVID-19 stimulus measures must save lives, protect livelihoods, and safeguard nature to reduce the risk of future pandemics
There is a single species that is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic - us. As with the climate and biodiversity crises, recent pandemics are More...
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HIC-HLRN: New Ways to Work with UN Habitat |
By :HIC-HLRN |
09 February 2020 |
ABU DHABI—At a networking event in the 10th World Urban Forum (WUF) to consider a new UN Habitat “Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism for Sustainable Development,” HIC-HLRN presented its contribution to the current discussion about the eventual methods and functions of UN Habitat’s partnership with civil society, local governments and authorities, and More...
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A New UN Habitat Stakeholder Compact |
By :HIC-HLRN |
30 May 2019 |
A group of stakeholder organizations in cooperation with UN Habitat have issued a vision statement for what they are calling a “new stakeholder compact” for implementing the New Urban Agenda (2016) in line with the global Sustainable Development Goals. On 30 May 2019, the stakeholders issued their declaration in a More...
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HRBA at UN Habitat Assembly |
By :HIC-HLRN |
29 May 2019 |
“Human Rights-based Approaches to Meeting Sustainable Development
Goals and New Urban Agenda Targets for Women, Youth and Children”
UN Habitat Assembly, 29 May 2019, 13:15–14:45, United Nations at Nairobi, Classroom 6
Featuring presentations by panelists from University of East London, UN Habitat, Habitat International Coalition’s Housing and Land Rights Network, Huairou Commission, More...
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"People-centered Partnership" @ 1st UNHA |
By :HIC-HLRN |
28 May 2019 |
Visions of People-centered Partnership”: HIC-HLRN at the first UN Habitat Assembly, Nairobi, 27 May 2019
NAIROBI—On 27 May 2019, Habitat International Coalition – Housing and Land Rights Network organized a side event at the first UN Habitat Assembly (Nairobi) in collaboration with UN Habitat’s stakeholder Youth Caucus. The inter-active event sought More...
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40-yr Struggle: Rights to Housing, Land and City |
By :Álvaro Puertas Robina, Thomas Reuters Foundation |
12 November 2018 |
Are our global property rights still guaranteed? 40 years of global struggle for rights to housing, land and the city
Gentrification, forced evictions, lack of access to housing - these are all concepts familiar to us. They pose serious and real threats in all corners of the world and can violate More...
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Progress in Land Indicators |
By :Oumar Sylla and Everlyne Nairesiae |
30 July 2018 |
This July is the first time the United Nations will review the progress made towards meeting Sustainable Development Goal 15, which is about Life on Land. Each goal will be reviewed about every four years until 2030.
The reviews will be based on the 10 indicators countries agreed on, that assess change in More...
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HIConcern over SDG Land Indicators |
By :Joseph Schechla, HIC-HLRN |
27 April 2018 |
Habitat International Coalition’s Housing and Land Rights Network welcomes the SDGs and their performance indicators as a complement to development efforts that uphold the integrity of the UN Charter and the UN System built on three purposeful pillars: (1) peace and security, (2) progressive development and (3) human rights. We More...
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1st Arab Conference on Land Governance |
By :HIC-HLRN |
28 February 2018 |
Dubai Land Department announces the conclusion of the first Arab land governance conference
The conference, organized in partnership with the World Bank, the Global Land Tool Network, UN-HABITAT, the League of Arab States and the Arab Surveying Association, was attended by more than 300 participants, representing several regional and international bodies.
Dubai More...
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Out of Africa: Human Rights Habitat Struggles |
By :Marie Huchzermeyer, CUBES/Wits Univ. and Joseph Schechla, HLRN |
07 November 2017 |
From Africa to the World: Struggling for Human Rights to Housing, Land and the City
Mid-October 2017, Nairobi was host to an intense engagement on housing rights, social justice and the right to the city. This was amid political turmoil in Kenyan towns and cities, and unrelated to this but largely More...
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HIComment on UN-Habitat Review |
By :HIC-HLRN |
05 September 2017 |
In advance of a high-level meeting of the General Assembly on 5 and 6 September 2017, HIC and HLRN have reviewed the High-level Independent Panel assessing the performance and capacity of UN-Habitat and posing recommendations for its future. The Panel’s report considers UN-Habitat performance and capacity from four angles, including More...
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UNHRC Resolution Links Human Rights to NUA |
By :Gregory scruggs, Citiscope |
27 July 2017 |
UN resolution seen as key win for New Urban Agenda’s contentious rights language
A new resolution from the United Nations’ top human rights body is being lauded by supporters in part because it solidifies contentious new language included in last year’s New Urban Agenda strategy on sustainable urbanization.
The UN Human Rights More...
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“Spotlight” on UN High-Level Forum, SDGs |
By :HIC-HLRN |
10 July 2017 |
As the UN High-Level Forum opens in New York, a global civil society report spotlights the role of big business in hindering development and deepening economic and social disparity.
Unbridled privatization, corporate capture and mass-scale tax abuse are blocking progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, argues a new report by a More...
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NUA Reporting in 2018 Crucial |
By :Gregory Scruggs, Citiscope |
11 May 2017 |
2018 reporting period will prove critical for New Urban Agenda, advocates say
Labels
NAIROBI—Although 2017 is not yet halfway over, advocates for the New Urban Agenda on sustainable cities already are looking to next year as critical for embedding the agreement aims among national governments.
That’s because the recent Habitat III conference set More...
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Indigenous Rights Key to Saving Forests |
By :Jonathan Watts, The Guardian |
02 November 2016 |
Indigenous rights are key to preserving forests, climate change study finds. Leaving forests in communal hands cuts carbon emissions from deforestation, helps communities and offers long-term economic benefits: “Everyone wins.”
RIO DE JANEIRO—The world’s indigenous communities need to be given a bigger role in climate stabilisation, according to a new study More...
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Our Precious Urban Lives |
By :Lisa Pryor, The New York Times |
29 October 2016 |
SYDNEY, Australia—Down the hill from my house, there is an old building with a saw-toothed roof that once warehoused trams, back when the bay was heavy with industrial waste and working-class people could afford to buy a home this close to the city and harbor of Sydney.
Now that building has More...
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After Habitat III, What’s Next? |
By :Gregory Scruggs, Citiscope |
21 October 2016 |
Official and unofficial mechanisms are quickly falling into place to follow and prod implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
Habitat III participants walk past wall displays of text from the New Urban Agenda. Quito, 18 October. (Habitat III Secretariat)
QUITO—After four intense days of the United Nations’ Habitat III conference on the More...
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Implementing the Right to the City |
By :Emilio Godoy, Citiscope |
20 October 2016 |
So how do we implement the ‘right to the city’, anyway? Many were surprised last month when negotiations on the New Urban Agenda kept the term in the final document. Now, efforts have been made at this week’s Habitat III conference to try to explain what this means on the More...
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Alternative Forums outside of Habitat III |
By :Gregory Scruggs, Citiscope |
14 October 2016 |
Even as governments adopt the New Urban Agenda next week, multiple groups plan protests and contrary discussions.
A large crowd gathers at the Urban Social Forum in Rio de Janeiro, which took place as an alternative to the World Urban Forum in March 2010. More such events are expected at next More...
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Habitat III: UN-Habitat Future Debated |
By :Gregg Scruggs, Citiscope |
18 August 2016 |
UN-Cities? Rumoured proposal gains steam
SURABAYA, Indonesia—The perennial tug-of-war between rich and developing countries at the United Nations has found another flashpoint: the debate over the future of UN-Habitat.
The Nairobi-based agency deals with housing as well as towns and cities big and small — collectively, “human settlements” — with the More...
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The “Four Rs and Four Ps” |
By :Christopher Swope, Citiscope |
06 August 2016 |
How Seberang Perai’s first female mayor is reducing waste and boosting citizen engagement
You’ve heard of the “Three Rs” — reduce, reuse and recycle. And there’s “PPPs” — public-private partnerships.
Dato’ Maimunah Mohd Sharif puts a twist on both of these phrases. She likes to talk of the “Four Rs” and the More...
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Toward Responsible Land Governance in LAC Region |
By :GLTN |
04 August 2016 |
An Experts Group Meeting – EGM was organized to review and feedback the first report of the Scoping Study. More than 30 representatives from public and private sectors, CSOs, academia, international development agencies, social leaders and activists from all over the region were gathered on July14-15 2016 in San José, More...
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Struggling to Chart Habitat II Implementation |
By :Greg Scruggs, Citiscope |
26 July 2016 |
Note: HIC-HLRN republishes this article from Citiscope as a report from the ““Fulfilling Habitat Commitments: Assessing the Past - Constructing a Platform for Action,” Surabaya, 24 July 2016. However, this does not suggest that HIC or HLRN endorse the methodology or the findings of the HCI exercise, as the criteria More...
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Hawking: Pollution, Stupidity = Biggest Threats |
By :Gabriel Samuels, The Independent |
29 June 2016 |
Professor Stephen Hawking says he believes pollution and human “stupidity” remain the biggest threats to mankind, while also expressing his concerns over the use of artificial intelligence in warfare.
The world’s leading theoretical physicist argued “we have certainly not become less greedy or less stupid” in our treatment of the environment More...
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UN Experts Insist on HR-based Habitat III |
By :OHCHR |
29 June 2016 |
UN experts issue statement on Habitat III: new agenda must be based in human rights
NEW YORK/GENEVA—As independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council, we call for a New Urban Agenda that embraces the transformative potential of human rights as a necessary framework for inclusive, vibrant and sustainable cities. More...
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HIC/GPR2C Statement on the New Habitat Agenda |
By :HIC-HLRN |
29 June 2016 |
Speaking on behalf of Habitat International Coalition, in partnership with the Global Platform on the Right to the City, HIC President Lorena Zárate delivered the following statement at intergovernmental negotiations at UN Headquarters, New York, 29 June 2016.
[check against delivery]
“Thank you Mr Chair for this opportunity to address the distinguish More...
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HIC Responds to Habitat III’s Revised Zero Draft |
By :HIC-HLRN |
28 June 2016 |
The following are Habitat International Coalition`s comments on the revised zero draft of the Habitat III outcome documents, submitted to the Habitat III Secretariat on 28 June 2016:
Habitat International Coalition was born out of, and—for two generations now—has faithfully upheld the Habitat Agenda as a cornerstone of its global platform. More...
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Israel: Water as a Tool to Dominate Palestinians |
By :Camilla Corradin, Al Jazeera |
20 June 2016 |
Israel deliberately denies Palestinians control over their water sources and sets the ground for water domination.
Occupied West Bank—As temperatures rise and summer months approach, yet again this year, thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are being deprived of their most basic need - access to water - as More...
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Brazil: CSOs Speak out on Habitat III |
31 May 2016 |
Brazilian civil society organizations, gathered in São Paulo on 31 May 2016, came out the present statement to express themselves about the content of what UN-Habitat leadership and the Habitat III Secretariat are calling the “New Urban Agenda” (NUA), to be adopted at the first scheduled UN Conference on Housing More...
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European Housing Rights Coalition Calls for Action |
By :European Action Coalition for the Right to Housing and to the City |
07 May 2016 |
Defend the Right to Housing and to the City
Call for International Action
Amsterdam, 28–30 May
Join the international action and confront the meeting of the 23 EU housing ministers.
Don`t let them talk behind closed doors about the future of our cities!
On the last weekend of May, the housing ministers of all EU More...
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"Right to the City" Movement Goes Global |
By :Francesca Perry, The Guardian |
19 April 2016 |
Right to the city: can this growing social movement win over city officials?
From the Taksim Square and Nuit Debout protests to bank takeovers in Barcelona and women’s workshops in Delhi, the pressure for more inclusive cities is mounting. As the UN gears up for Habitat III, will governments listen?
On More...
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African New Habitat Agenda Priorities |
By :Ahmed Mansour Ismail and Dr. Daniel W. Ambaye |
23 February 2016 |
HABITAT III Africa Regional Meeting
“African Priorities for the New Urban Agenda”
Land and African Sustainable Urbanization, side event organized by GLTN
Abuja, Nigeria, 23 February 2016
Summary prepared by Ahmed Mansour Ismail (HIC-HLRN) and Dr. Daniel W. Ambaye (Institute of Land Administration)
Mr Ernest Aubee, ECOWAS (as moderator) introduced the panelists and further emphasized More...
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HLRN-India Launches Habitat III Status Report |
By :HLRN-India |
05 February 2016 |
New Delhi—On Friday, Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN) launched its first Habitat III country report titled, Housing and Land Rights in India: Status Report for Habitat III. The United Nations (UN) Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III)—the third bidecennial international conference on habitat issues—will be held More...
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HIC-critics on Habitat III Policy Papers |
By :HIC |
05 February 2016 |
Since the very early stages of the Habitat III preparations, Habitat International Coalition (HIC) has called for the integrity of the Habitat II (1996) commitments and modalities; this demand has three related aspects:
• Processes must uphold the Habitat II-established principle to be as inclusive as possible;
• Maintain the Habitat Agenda, More...
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Habitat III Sins of Omission |
By :Habitat for People - Not for Profit! |
01 February 2016 |
Today, a movement of concerned partners engaged in the Habitat III preparations issued a public challenge to the organizers of the global process, calling on them to rethink the omissions and design flaws that narrow the Habitat III public debate and presuppose its outcomes. From the beginning of the deliberative and reporting More...
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UNGA Decides Habitat III Participation Rules |
By :Habitat III Secretariat |
22 December 2015 |
The General Assembly approves the most-inclusive modalities ever on stakeholders and local authorities` participation.
NEW YORK—On 22 December 2015 the United Nations General Assembly, on 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 More...
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Habitat III Rules on Local Authority, CSO Roles |
By :Greg Scruggs, Citiscope |
19 November 2015 |
A proposed UN General Assembly resolution would allow accredited local authorities to participate in any part of next year’s cities conference, although without a right to vote. The draft also adds new consultation and negotiation days.
The degree to which local authorities and civil society will have a say in Habitat More...
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UNSR Reminds Govts. about Rights in Habitat III |
By :OHCHR |
22 October 2015 |
NEW YORK / GENEVA—The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to housing, Leilani Farha, today has challenged governments to go further and commit to bold action to end homelessness and improve housing conditions on a global scale. “I am convinced we can end the scourge of homelessness More...
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Habitat III National Reporting Tool |
By :HIC-HLRN |
21 September 2015 |
Habitat III National Reporting Guidelines (merged with State obligations)
This Excel file attempts to merge the national Habitat III report outline proffered by UN-Habitat with the already-standing commitments of states and UN bodies at Habitat II (1996). For those following UN-Habitat`s advice, the left column leads with the agency’s reduced six More...
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Human Rights & Local Government Report |
By :HIC-HLRN |
18 September 2015 |
On 22 September 2015, the United Nations Human Rights Council (Geneva) will consider the final report of its Advisory Committee on the Role of local government in the promotion and protection of human rights. The report is the outcome of a two-year study on the subject by the Human Rights Council More...
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Developing Nations Outdo Big Powers in Climate Pledges |
By :Renee Lewis, Al Jazeera |
10 September 2015 |
Scientists find poorer nations more ambitious in plans to reduce global warming emissions ahead of UN summit
Developed countries “ought to be embarrassed” by less-wealthy nations’ pledges to fight global warming by changing agriculture, forestry and other land use practices, as the developing countries’ promises go much further and are more More...
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Habitat II Baby, Habitat III Bathwater |
By :Joseph Schechla, Habitat International Coalition – Housing and Land Rights Network |
10 August 2015 |
The substantive debate toward the 2016 Habitat III Conference is warming up. The disappointment that states earlier expressed at PrepCom2 (Nairobi, April 2015) for slow progress in producing the draft material for the outcome document has subsided. The rich content of 22 Issue Papers, so far, has superseded some of More...
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Fractured Continuity: Habitat II to Habitat III |
By :Joseph Schechla, CitiScope |
10 August 2015 |
Wading through the knowledge products of the current Habitat process highlights a failure to account for previous commitments. HIC-HLRN’s Joseph Schechla critiques the process and content of Habitat III against the criteria forged at Habitat II.
* * *
The substantive debate toward next year’s Habitat III conference is now warming up. More...
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HIC Reviews Habitat III Issue Papers |
By :HIC-HLRN |
31 July 2015 |
Habitat International Coalition has just issued its compilation of inputs from Members and officers following their review of the Habitat III Issue Papers. The 22 thematic contributions from technical experts selected by the UN-Habitat/Habitat III Secretariat have been drafted as a framework for the debate leading up to the Third More...
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How can we Ensure Habitat III Delivers on Citizen Priorities? |
By :Azza Sirry, Citiscope |
04 June 2015 |
The international system of development is too often failing to deliver to local communities. Next year’s cities conference is a key opportunity to change that.
In April, I was part of the official Egyptian delegation to the second preparatory session for next year’s Habitat III conference on cities. As I was More...
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UN-Habitat: Landmark Governing Council |
By :Greg Scruggs, Citiscope |
28 May 2015 |
Landmark Governing Council session debates UN-Habitat’s role in the development agenda
NAIROBI—The 25th session of the UN-Habitat Governing Council concluded on 23 April, following a week of debate on the wide array of issues surrounding today’s global process of urbanization. Highlighting the pivotal year for a review of the agency’s budget More...
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UN-Habitat: Critical Debate @ Governing Council |
By :Greg Scruggs, Citiscope |
28 April 2015 |
Landmark Governing Council session debates UN-Habitat’s role in the development agenda
NAIROBI—The 25th session of the UN-Habitat Governing Council concluded on 23 April, following a week of debate on the wide array of issues surrounding today’s global process of urbanization. Highlighting the pivotal year for a review of the agency’s budget More...
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Land. That’s What Habitat Was About |
By :Moira Farrow, The Vancouver Sun |
23 June 1976 |
In spite of the war of words between Israel and the Arabs, in spite of the militancy and marching over nuclear energy, the key word at Habitat was land.
Like a rock thrown into a pond, the land debate is going to ripple around the world for many years, because it’s as More...
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Land. That’s What Habitat Was About |
By :Moira Farrow, The Vancouver Sun |
23 June 1976 |
More...
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