4 August 2020 - As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, UN-Habitat’s work in support of sustainable urbanization, reduced inequalities, strengthened local and regional governments, and a green and inclusive recovery, is more important than ever. UN-Habitat has launched its 2020 Catalogue of Services to provide a snapshot of UN-Habitat’s tried and tested services and expertise, to help national governments, local and regional authorities and a variety of stakeholders, to recover from the pandemic and to accelerate their efforts towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.

The UN Secretary-General’s recent Policy Brief: COVID-19 in an Urban World outlines ideas for governments to address the pandemic, rethink our cities, address the climate crisis, and adapt to the reality of the current and future pandemics. This Catalogue provides information for decision-makers on actions that UN-Habitat can undertake to support these goals. The Catalogue presents the tried-and-tested services that UN-Habitat is prepared to deploy in support of Member States, including Ministries of Housing, Urban Development, Infrastructure, Environment and/or Climate Change, and other relevant authorities at the national, sub-national, and local levels.

The Catalogue is divided into sub-sections to allow readers to quickly locate services that are most relevant for their context and priorities. Examples of implementation and testimonies of relevance from the field demonstrate the relevance and impact of these services. Nearly every service and support can be offered remotely, using a variety of online tools and methods. The Sections are: Urban data, profiling, and monitoring; Participatory processes; Policy, legislation and governance; Planning and design; Land, housing, and shelter; Basic services and infrastructure;  Economy and finance; Cities and climate change and Capacity-building.

The Catalogue also details UN-Habitat’s recently launched global Flagship Programmes, which build on decades of experience to address some of the most pressing challenges facing urban areas today. Each of the services in the Catalogue is also tagged with the relevant SDGs and SDG targets; Outcome areas of UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan; COVID-19 relevance and Capacity building dimension.

“Our hope at UN-Habitat is that those who read this Catalogue, whether they are already familiar with the work of UN-Habitat or not, will be inspired to reach out to UN-Habitat to engage with us in the pursuit of sustainable urbanization and a more inclusive and resilient future,” said Shipra Narang Suri, Chief of UN-Habitat’s Urban Practices Branch.

The catalogue can be viewed and downloaded  here. More information for governments and partners can be obtained by writing to UNHabitat-GSD@un.org