UN-Habitat convenes virtual workshop on improving air quality and public space monitoring in European cities

July 1st, 2020

Brussels, 30 June 2020- UN-Habitat organized a virtual  Expert Group Meeting to discuss Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDG) indicators on air quality in cities and access to public spaces, with a…

Sweden and UN-Habitat sign a USD 20 million agreement to promote sustainable urbanization

July 1st, 2020

Nairobi, 1 July 2020 – Sweden has signed a global programme cooperation agreement with UN-Habitat, the United Nations agency charged with promoting socially and environmentally sustainable towns and…

UN-Habitat Executive Director urges international community to support resilience building in Syria

July 1st, 2020

Brussels, 30 June 2020 –, UN-Habitat’s Executive Director Maimunah Mohamed Sharif urged governments, donors and heads of UN agencies to place a greater emphasis on resilience programming in Syria…

UN-Habitat advocates for ‘New Economy’ opportunities for cities during COVID-19

June 30th, 2020

Chengdu, China, 29 June 2020—UN-Habitat has always been an advocate for sustainable urban economy and prosperous livelihoods. This role has become increasingly critical during COVID-19 pandemic. As…

Graffiti art spreads COVID-19 prevention messages in Nairobi’s slums

June 30th, 2020

Nairobi, 30 June 2020 - Over 60 percent of Nairobi’s residents live in overcrowded informal settlements where public transport systems are often packed and there are few handwashing facilities.  …

The first meeting of UN-Habitat Executive Board in 2020 took place virtually

June 30th, 2020

Nairobi 29 June 2020—The First Session of the UN-Habitat Executive Board this year was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 330 participants registered for the Session, which was chaired…

Nominations open for UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award to be presented on World Habitat Day

June 24th, 2020

Nairobi, 25 June 2020 – UN-Habitat, the United Nations Programme promoting socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities, has opened nominations for its prestigious Scroll of Honour Award…

A third of the global population now lives in metropolitan areas according to UN-Habitat research

June 24th, 2020

Nairobi, 23 June 2020 - New data from UN-Habitat reveals there are nearly 2,000 metropolitan areas globally where a third of the world’s population now live. And UN-Habitat predicts that by 2035, the…

UN-Habitat pairs cities striving to manage their municipal solid waste with expert counterparts

June 22nd, 2020

Nairobi, June 2020 – As part of its Waste Wise Cities, UN-Habitat is bringing together cities that are looking to improve the management of their municipal solid waste with mentor cities committed to…

Community volunteers visit thousands of homes in Myanmar slums with COVID-19 information

June 22nd, 2020

Yangon, Myanmar, 18 June 2020 – UN-Habitat supported a team of community volunteers in five informal settlements in Myanmar’s largest city Yangon who have contacted over 13,2000 households to provide…

UN-Habitat Executive Director interview with GovInsider on post-pandemic cities

June 22nd, 2020

Interview 22 June 2020 Pandemics permanently change cities. New York and London built new sanitation systems in the 1800s after typhoid and cholera outbreaks. In Bombay, city planning only truly…

UN-Habitat supporting fever clinics and hospitals serving Yangon’s informal settlements

June 22nd, 2020

Yangon, Myanmar 22 June 2020-- Fever clinics and public hospitals have been at the center of Myanmar’s public health efforts to combat COVID-19. Set up specifically in response to the threat of the…

UN-Habitat provides water and handwashing facilities for tens of thousands in Ghana’s informal settlements

June 22nd, 2020

Accra, June 2020 - UN-Habitat is providing three communities in Ghana’s capital with facilities for handwashing to assist the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 The current COVID-19 pandemic has…